Stakeholders in the agric sector have expressed optimism about the transformation expected to take place in Nigeria’s cassava industry soon.
This position was expressed during a workshop organised by Cavista Holdings recently held at Agbeyewa Farms, Ipao Ekiti State.
The event, held just a day after minister of Agriculture Abubakar Kyari visited Agbeyewa Farms, brought together key government agencies, financial institutions, agribusiness leaders, and development organisations to address challenges and opportunities in the cassava value chain.
Delivering his opening remarks at the workshop, the managing director of Agbeyewa Farms, Seyi Oskar—Aiyeleso, noted that the workshop aims to identify bottlenecks in cassava production, financing, and processing while exploring practical solutions to enhance farmer productivity, industrial-scale processing, and market expansion.
During the workshop, stakeholders engaged in in-depth discussions on agricultural financing, mechanisation, logistics efficiency, and value addition, all geared toward positioning Nigeria as a leader in cassava processing.
Prof. Doyin Salami, a lecturer at Lagos Business School, emphasised that farmer aggregation is critical to unlocking financing and improving productivity. Organising smallholder farmers into structured groups can significantly improve access to credit, mechanisation, and technical support.
Also speaking, the Head of Partnerships at the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Nasir Ingawa, emphasised that limited access to financing remains one of the biggest barriers to productivity and industrial-scale processing. Ingawa said to bridge this gap, NADF would work to develop tailored financing solutions that will enable smallholder farmers and agribusinesses to scale operations, adopt modern agricultural practices, and integrate into larger value chains.
In his remarks, chief of staff, Ekiti State governor, Niyi Adebayo, outlined the government’s land-clearing initiative, which has opened 5,000 hectares for young farmers, adding that the state has introduced mechanisation and agribusiness programs for over 3,000 youth, aligning with national goals to increase agricultural productivity and employment.
