Cassava now central to Nigeria’s industrial future — VP Shettima

By Kunle Sanni –

Vice President Kashim Shettima has described cassava as a key driver of Nigeria’s industrial development and import substitution strategy, stressing its vital role in President Bola Tinubu’s economic transformation agenda.

Speaking in Abuja at the 2025 World Cassava Day celebration, Shettima said the Federal Government is repositioning cassava beyond its traditional role as a staple food and transforming it into a catalyst for food and energy security, rural prosperity, and industrial growth.

“Cassava is no longer just food for the poor — it is now capital for the ambitious,” he said. “We are moving from subsidy-heavy programmes to investment-led solutions. Our priority is private capital, research, mechanisation, and full-scale commercialisation.”

He highlighted the Cassava Bioethanol Project as a flagship initiative under the Tinubu administration, aimed at reducing reliance on imported fuel additives. The initiative is projected to save Nigeria over ₦3 trillion annually while enabling a circular economy in agriculture.

“What used to be waste will become wealth,” Shettima said, noting cassava’s wide-ranging applications in food processing, energy, pharmaceuticals, construction, and textiles.

With this year’s theme — “Farm to Global Markets: Driving Industrialisation, Food Security and Exports” — the Vice President urged stakeholders to go beyond promises and deliver tangible results for farmers and the broader economy.

“The world will not remember our intentions — it will remember our results,” he stated.

Shettima also commended the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and its partners for innovations such as the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponic system used in cassava seed multiplication. He praised Nigeria’s partnership with Brazil as a model of effective international cooperation.