"Nigeria Targets Global Cassava Dominance — NALDA, Agbeyewa Farms Launch 5,000-Hectare Industrialisation Push"

 

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has officially launched a cassava production intervention and industrialisation programme aimed at transforming Nigeria’s cassava value chain and positioning the country as a global powerhouse in cassava-based products.

The initiative kicked off with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NALDA and Agbeyewa Farms, a major private sector player in Nigeria’s agricultural industry. 

The agreement, signed in Abuja on Friday, marks the beginning of a 5,000-hectare expansion project designed to establish Agbeyewa Farms as the anchor operator of the Renewed Hope Cassava Farm Revolution Initiative in Ekiti State.

Speaking at the ceremony, NALDA’s Executive Secretary, Prince Cornelius Adebayo, described the intervention as a key step toward President Bola Tinubu’s broader agricultural transformation agenda. He noted that the programme was conceived not only to combat food insecurity but also to industrialise cassava production and empower Nigerian farmers across the value chain.

“Nigeria produces about 65 million metric tonnes of cassava annually the largest globally but shockingly, we only play in about $1 million of the $3.65 billion global cassava export market,” Adebayo said. 

“This partnership is our response to that imbalance. We are determined to make Nigeria a major player in cassava derivatives such as starch, sorbitol, flour, and ethanol. Agbeyewa Farms, as the largest cassava farm in the country, will anchor this revolution.”

Adebayo added that NALDA has developed new strategies to expand farmers’ access to agricultural land, create jobs, and enhance rural livelihoods through the cassava industrialisation programme. He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting private sector investments that align with national food security goals.

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Agbeyewa Farms, Oska Aiyeleso, commended the federal government and NALDA for their proactive approach to strengthening Nigeria’s food production system. He highlighted that the partnership would not only boost cassava output but also generate significant employment opportunities and spur rural economic growth.

“When the NALDA team visited our farm months ago, they promised to return with support and today, they have fulfilled that promise,” Aiyeleso said. “Agbeyewa Farms has already cultivated over 3,000 hectares and aims to expand to 5,000 this year. Last year, we were recognised as the largest cassava farm in Africa, and by the end of this year, we will be the largest in the world.”

The NALDA–Agbeyewa partnership marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward agricultural industrialisation, with the cassava sub-sector positioned as a key driver of economic diversification, rural development, and export competitiveness.