Nigeria’s cassava sector is no longer just a vision—it’s becoming a reality. Local entrepreneurs are scaling industrial operations, unlocking new markets, and proving that cassava can evolve from a staple crop into a major economic asset. Success in this industry depends on securing a steady supply of cassava, maintaining high utilization rates, accessing affordable capital, and converting raw cassava into high-value products such as bioethanol, starch, high-quality cassava flour (HQCF), and sweeteners.

This is proof that innovation, supported by structured financing and strategic partnerships, can turn cassava into a commercially viable, nationally significant industry.

Local Success Stories

Research by the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator (NCIA), an initiative of Lagos Business School, highlights inspiring examples of industrial progress.

Psaltry International demonstrates how a local agribusiness can transform into a major player in industrial processing. Founded in 2005 as a small trading business, Psaltry now produces starch, sorbitol, HQCF, and garri, serving multinational clients. Its success stems from a robust sourcing model with over 3,500 in-grower and out-grower farmers, supporting a facility capable of processing 25 tons of sorbitol, 20 tons of starch, 30 tons of HQCF, and 7 tons of garri daily.

Psaltry also pioneered local cassava-based sorbitol production—first in Africa and second globally—reducing import dependence and capturing domestic value. Beyond production, the company has improved rural employment, infrastructure, and living standards, providing a blueprint for industrial growth driven by entrepreneurial vision, structured supply chains, and investment.

Other companies are following suit. Niji Foods, part of the Niji Group, has built an integrated cassava ecosystem. With in-house mechanization, equipment manufacturing, and agricultural training, the company operates a 50-ton-per-day starch facility supported by a 700-hectare block farm. Its Service Delivery Model offers financing, mechanization, inputs, and agronomic training to farmers, boosting productivity and ensuring consistent year-round sourcing.

CEO Kolawole Adeniji highlights the untapped potential of odourless fufu, a cassava product that could rival maize-based staples if industrialized with the right investment and automated processes. He also emphasizes the importance of tailored financial support, advocating for low-interest loans tied to performance metrics to reduce risk and encourage sustainable growth.

Despite Nigeria being the world’s largest cassava producer, Adeniji notes that yields remain below potential due to unsuitable machinery, limited skilled fabricators, and high operational costs. He advocates for cassava-specific processing equipment, modular plants, community-based farming clusters, and investment in land development technologies to scale production efficiently.

Harvest Feed and Agro Processing Limited (HFAP) is another emerging force. Originally a poultry feed enterprise, HFAP now operates a standardized cassava starch facility in Ogun State, producing both food and industrial-grade starch. Director Adedamola Adeyemi points out that only a fraction of Nigeria’s cassava is processed into higher-value products, highlighting the need for strategic investment in infrastructure, mechanization, and supply chain coordination to unlock industrial-scale potential.

Keys to Success

NCIA research shows that successful cassava enterprises share common traits:

• Reliable sourcing models, blending in-grower and out-grower systems.
• Modular or scalable processing facilities with high utilization rates.
• Investment in equipment and human capital to ensure quality.
• Operational excellence and clear product-market fit.

These elements make cassava industrialization not just aspirational, but investable. To scale further, entrepreneurs require long-term, structured financing that aligns with agricultural realities.

Unlocking Nigeria’s Cassava Potential

With strategic investment, Nigeria can transform cassava from a food security crop into a high-value industrial engine. Currently, only 2% of domestic cassava is processed. Expanding this value chain can reduce import dependence, create rural jobs, and tap into a billion-dollar derivatives market driven by homegrown enterprises.

Support from funders, development partners, and government is critical. Flexible capital, infrastructure, market access, and incentives can catalyze growth, helping Nigeria diversify beyond oil and propel the next generation of cassava industrialists.