By Kuburat Musa
In Nigeria’s pursuit of economic diversification, raw materials development is emerging as a vital pathway to sustainable industrialization. Among the numerous resources waiting to be harnessed, cassava stands out — not just as a staple food, but as a raw material with enormous industrial potential. In this regard, Kogi State is strategically positioning itself to become Nigeria’s leading cassava-based industrial hub, with remarkable efforts driven by government policy, infrastructure investment, and strategic partnerships.
Cassava is Nigeria’s most produced crop, and Kogi State ranks among its top producers. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Kogi accounts for over 16% of Nigeria’s total cassava output, with more than 3.3 million metric tons produced annually. This has earned the state recognition as a cassava belt, with significant implications for agro-processing, food security, and raw material supply for numerous industries. Yet, Kogi’s approach goes beyond raw output. Through coordinated programs and policy actions, the state is transforming cassava into a cornerstone of its industrial growth, promoting value addition, job creation, and sustainable rural development.
Several state and donor-funded programs have played a critical role in enhancing cassava productivity and processing capacity:
Agricultural Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project: This initiative has empowered local farmers with improved cassava stems, agro-inputs, mechanized tools, and training. Yields have increased from an average of 10 tons per hectare to over 25 tons per hectare, enabling farmers to meet industrial-scale supply demands.
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FADAMA III + AF and Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP): Over 4,000 farmers in the cassava value chain have received input support, capacity building, and marketing linkages. More importantly, RMRDC-trained processors under these initiatives have adopted new technologies in cassava flour, starch, and ethanol production — thus driving forward the industrial utility of cassava as a raw material.
These efforts align with the RMRDC mandate of promoting the development and utilization of Nigeria’s raw materials to drive industrialization.
Recognizing the need for large-scale processing facilities, the Kogi State Government, in collaboration with the Federal Government and development partners, is establishing two agro-industrial zones dedicated to cassava processing.
1. Ukpake SAPZ, Ajaokuta LGA
Spanning 254 hectares, this Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone is strategically located with access to electricity, water, gas pipelines, a railway line, and proximity to the proposed Adogo International Cargo Airport. It is being positioned to host ethanol plants, flour and starch mills, and feed processors.
2. Alape Staple Crop Processing Zone (SCPZ), Kabba/Bunu LGA
This zone has attracted attention from major processors including Dangote, BUA, and Cargill International. With government-provided road networks and land clearing, the SCPZ is poised to become a cassava-to-industry hub — converting raw produce into flour, chips, pellets, and bio-ethanol for both local consumption and export.
In a groundbreaking effort supported by the African Development Bank, Synergos Nigeria, and ILRI, Kogi has launched a cassava peel-to-feed prototype processing facility. This facility converts high-quality cassava peels into animal feed, reducing waste and creating a new product line from what was once discarded. Such innovations are key to the sustainable use of agro-based raw materials, reinforcing RMRDC’s push for full value utilization.
Bridging the Raw Material Supply Gap
Companies such as UNICANE and Crest Agro Products, which have large cassava processing facilities in the state, face raw material supply shortages despite being located in cassava-producing zones. Combined, they process over 2,500 metric tons of cassava per day but currently source less than 10% locally — highlighting a raw material supply gap that Kogi farmers can exploit through expansion and improved aggregation systems.
This calls for more investment in farmer cooperatives, rural storage systems, and cassava clusters, which RMRDC can facilitate through technical support and partnership development.
Policy Support and RMRDC’s Role
The Kogi State Government is developing a Cassava Value Chain Policy to coordinate the sector’s growth — from input supply and research to processing and marketing. This presents an opportunity for the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to provide data, frameworks, and technology inputs that can accelerate the development of raw materials for industrial use.
Kogi State’s approach to cassava industrialization is a model that aligns perfectly with the RMRDC’s bill to ensure at least 30% value-addition to local raw materials before export to other countries. With the right mix of infrastructure, policy, farmer support, and innovation, the state is setting the pace in turning cassava into an economic asset beyond food — into a raw material for flour, starch, ethanol, feed, and more.
As RMRDC continues its mission to advance raw material development across the country, the cassava success story in Kogi offers proof of what is possible when policy meets purpose.
