LAGOS/Nigeria: The Chief Innovation and Commercialisation Officer of Matna Foods Limited, Dr. Tony Bello, has called for a strategic shift in Nigeria’s cassava industry from primary production to industrial value creation, saying the country’s status as the world’s largest cassava producer will remain economically insignificant unless it is backed by large-scale processing, innovation and manufacturing.
Bello made the call in a statement issued on Saturday to mark the 2026 World Cassava Day, where he challenged policymakers, investors, researchers and industry players to reposition cassava as a catalyst for industrialisation, export expansion and sustainable economic growth.
According to him, although Nigeria produces more than 60 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, the impressive output has yet to translate into the level of economic prosperity, industrial development and employment opportunities expected of a country with such enormous agricultural potential.
“The future of cassava is not simply more production. The future of cassava is what it is becoming,” Bello stated, stressing that the conversation around cassava must move beyond food security to industrial transformation and wealth creation.
He explained that cassava is rapidly evolving from a traditional staple crop into a strategic industrial commodity with applications in specialty starches, food ingredients, pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, renewable energy, nutrition products and other manufacturing inputs capable of driving Nigeria’s industrial revolution.
Describing cassava industrialisation as the bridge between agriculture and manufacturing, Bello said the country has a unique opportunity to reduce dependence on imported food ingredients, starches, sweeteners, bakery products and industrial raw materials by developing a robust local value chain built on innovation, science and private sector investment.
He cited the integrated investments being undertaken by Agbeyewa Farms, Matna Foods Limited and Cavista Holdings as practical examples of how collaboration across the cassava value chain can stimulate industrial growth. According to him, while Agbeyewa Farms guarantees sustainable feedstock production, Matna Foods is expanding processing capacity and Cavista Holdings provides governance, commercialisation expertise and innovation support to strengthen the industry’s competitiveness.
Bello maintained that unlocking the full economic value of cassava requires stronger collaboration among researchers, engineers, farmers, processors, manufacturers, investors, financial institutions, development partners and government agencies. He identified improved seed development, mechanisation, processing technology, logistics, commercialisation, export promotion and supportive government policies as critical pillars for building a globally competitive cassava industry.
“The opportunity before Nigeria is much larger than cassava production,” he said. “Our success should no longer be measured by the number of tonnes harvested, but by the value we create, the industries we build, the jobs we generate, the exports we expand and the lives we transform.”
He further noted that World Cassava Day serves as a reminder that Africa possesses the natural resources required to build globally competitive industries. According to him, the combination of scientific research, entrepreneurship, technological innovation and strategic investment has the potential to transform cassava from a subsistence crop into a major driver of manufacturing, export earnings and inclusive economic development.
Bello urged stakeholders across the public and private sectors to embrace a shared vision for the future of the cassava industry, insisting that sustained collaboration would position Nigeria as not only the world’s leading cassava producer but also its foremost processor and exporter. “Ultimately, the future of cassava is not cassava. The future of cassava is what cassava becomes,” he said.
