Nigeria, FMN partner to boost cassava industrialisation
FMN reiterated its strategic focus on cassava industrialisation as a pathway to agricultural transformation, sustainable jobs, and increased export revenues
NIGERIA – The Federal Government of Nigeria has partnered with Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN) to accelerate cassava industrialisation, in a major push to deepen food security, reduce dependency on imported raw materials, and position Nigeria’s cassava sector for greater global competitiveness.
The collaboration was announced in line with the 2025 World Cassava Day celebrations, during which FMN highlighted the importance of coordinated investment in the cassava value chain as a catalyst for economic transformation.
In a statement, FMN said the event provided “invaluable insights on how to scale investment in cassava processing, create export value within the cassava value chain, and reduce Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported raw materials.”
The initiative aligns with the government’s wider goals for agribusiness and productivity enhancement through backward integration and local value addition.
FMN Agro, operating through its Premium Cassava Products Division (PCPD) and Golden Agri Inputs Limited (GAIL), played a leading role at the event. The company’s contributions focused on advancing cassava industrialisation, youth innovation, and export competitiveness. A “Cassava Changemakers” pitch competition further spotlighted emerging innovations within the sector.
Akhanemeh Osikhena, General Manager of PCPD at FMN Agro, reaffirmed FMN’s long-standing commitment to cassava value chain development.
“Now more than before, it has become a key imperative to develop the cassava value chain as a viable raw material for various finished products,” Osikhena said.
He emphasised FMN Agro’s investments in content localisation and capacity-building, aimed at transforming cassava production from a subsistence activity to a fully integrated value chain that drives employment, innovation, and foreign exchange earnings.
This includes support for smallholder farmers through access to agricultural inputs, training, and guaranteed off-take markets. The company has also expanded its industrial starch production capabilities and adopted backward integration models to ensure raw material sustainability.
Sadiq Usman, Managing Director of FMN Agro and Group Director for Partnerships and Strategic Engagements, commended the Federal Government’s leadership in organising the forum through the Office of the Senior Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement.
“Our purpose remains to feed and enrich lives, and we are committed to strengthening food systems through valuable partnerships,” Usman noted.
World Cassava Day 2025 convened key players from across Nigeria’s public and private sectors to assess the future of cassava as an industrial and export commodity. Nigeria is currently the world’s largest producer of cassava, yet much of its potential remains underutilised due to processing and market constraints.
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