FG Mulls Cassava as Import Substitution for Wheat Flour, Bio-Oil

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has declared Nigeria’s determination to take advantage of being the largest producer of cassava in the world to substitute large quantity of wheat flour, corn starch and bio-oil currently being imported in large quantities into the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said that the present administration would tackle various challenges from the level of activities in production, processing or marketing, including the 2-3 year cycle of glut and scarcity that causes fluctuations in price of the commodity to achieve this objective.

The minister stated this at the 3-day African Cassava Conference hosted by Nigeria in Abuja.

He said that major challenges to the production of high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) included high cost of flash dryer, high level maintenance and inefficiency of locally fabricated flash dryers which affect the quality of the output.

He advocated for continued sensitisation and training of stakeholders on the use of 20 per cent HQCF in bread baking and other confectionaries; need for small scale/cottage flash dryer; improved locally fabricated flash dryers for improved quality of the HQCF as a way forward in the subsector.

“Providing good quality cassava derivatives will facilitate increase in local and export demand of the product leading to enhanced efficiency and production of the crop. The outcome of the conference will no doubt bring about increase in the average yields in cassava; enhance stakeholders’ revenues; incorporate quality control inspection and certification systems; encourage appropriate technology for rapid multiplication of the cassava and create jobs and wealth for the Nigeria citizens,” he said.

Kyari described cassava as a staple food for millions of Nigerians that is grown in the 36 states of the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Also speaking, the Chairman and Chief Executive, National Quality Council (NQC), Osita Aboloma, highlighted the importance of national policies in his keynote presentation titled “The Role of National Governments and National Quality Infrastructure Institutions in the Development of the Cassava Value Chain.”

Aboloma posited that national governments in Africa are strategic to achieving the theme of the conference, which was to stimulate Africa’s industrialisation through the development of cassava based products and assuring quality along the value chain.

According to him, given the prevalence of the cassava crop in the entire African continent, developing the value chain for food security, nutrition as well as industrialisation purposes require the collaboration of governments at local, state and the federal levels for optimum gain.