The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to lead Africa’s cassava industrialisation drive through Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR as well as the Presidential Executive Order 5.
Speaking today in Abuja at the 2nd Africa Cassava Conference (ACC 2025) with the theme “Building Sustainable & Quality-Driven Cassava Industries in Africa,” the Minister emphasized that cassava represents one of the continent’s most strategic opportunities for economic diversification, industrial development, job creation and food security.
Udeh disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology—established under the National Science and Technology Act of 1980 and strengthened by the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (NSTIP 2022)—is a service Ministry mandated to deploy STI solutions across all sectors of the economy, including agriculture and agro-processing. Adding that “Cassava is no longer a subsistence crop. It has become a strategic industrial raw material for food security, pharmaceuticals, energy, biodegradable plastics, construction materials, sweeteners, ethanol, adhesives and more. The future belongs to countries that convert agricultural abundance into industrial wealth—and that is the future Nigeria is building under President Tinubu,” he stated.
The Minister stressed that Nigeria remains the world’s largest producer of cassava, with output estimated at over 62 million tonnes in 2023 (FAO/AfDB).What Nigeria needs now is a technology-led, innovation-driven transition—especially in the non-oil and gas sector—one that accelerates industrialisation in an inclusive, irreversible and sustainable manner.”
Therefore, FMIST commitments to Nigeria and Africa is to intensify collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, academia, research institutes, farmer cooperatives, private investors,regional partners and all stakeholders to drive the development of climate-resilient, high-yield cassava varieties using biotechnology and genomics, modern processing, storage and preservation technologies to reduce post-harvest losses among others.
In his speech, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume represented by Mr. Okokon Etdabasi, said that cassava is not a mere crop, but one of Africa’s resilient and resourcefulness that sustains most African households and also increases the economy of the country.
In a Ministerial remarks, the Hon. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said the theme of the Conference is apt at a time that Africa is faced with unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment, adding that with the full deployment of cassava value chain into all sectors of the economy, there will be total transformation of the continent.
Signed
Pauline Sule (Mrs)anipr
Head, Press & PPRU
