From 1% to 10%: 4 High-Value Directions to Boost Nigeria’s Cassava Processing & Export
Nigeria is the world’s largest cassava producer, with over 60 million tons annually. Yet less than 1% is processed into high-value industrial or export products. For processors and investors, the question is which direction offers the most realistic path to scale. Here are four. Direction 1: Industrial Cassava Starch Cassava starch is used across food, paper, textile, pharmaceutical, and adhesive industries globally. Nigeria’s low raw material cost gives it a natural advantage—if processing efficiency is high enough to offset energy and logistics costs. A starch line includes cleaning, rasping, extraction, refining, dewatering, and drying. Henan Jinrui supplies lines configured for Nigerian conditions, from 5 to 50 tons per day. Export markets include West African neighbors, Europe, and the Middle East. Direction 2: High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) HQCF can substitute wheat flour in baking. The Presidential Cassava Bread Initiative mandates 10–20% cassava flour inclusion in bre...