By Lanre Shodimu
In its drive at boosting food production in Nigeria, the Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing Nigeria’s cassava bioethanol value chain as part of efforts to drive industrial expansion and economic stability.
This was made know by Atiku Bagudu, minister of Budget and Economic Planning, recently in Abeokuta during a capacity-building workshop for stakeholders on the Cassava Bioethanol Value Chain Development Project in the South-West zone.
According to him, the workshop aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to transform Nigeria’s agricultural strengths into industrial and economic gains.
“As the world transitions towards a greener and more sustainable economy, bioethanol presents a significant opportunity for Nigeria,” said Bagudu, who was represented by Auwal Mohammed, director of Economic Growth. He said
The minister also said that the initiative is designed to move Nigeria beyond producing cassava solely for food consumption toward large-scale industrial and energy applications.
Nigeria is world’s largest cassava producer, and despite this, Nigeria has not fully harnessed the crop’s economic potential.
Bagudu added that blending bioethanol with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) could cut dependence on fuel imports and save billions of naira in foreign exchange.
He stated further that the initiative would stimulate a bio-based economy, strengthen the naira, and integrate millions of smallholder farmers into an expanded industrial value chain.
“the project is consistent with Nigeria’s National Bio-Economy Policy, which promotes a circular economy approach that maximises the full cassava value chain. He said.
Bagudu noted that the initiative goes beyond ethanol production. It also seeks to unlock value from high-quality starch, carbon dioxide captured during fermentation, and animal feed derived from distillery grains.
He however encouraged stakeholders to leverage the workshop to gain technical expertise in high-yield cassava cultivation and efficient processing methods.
“As the ministry of budget and economic planning, we are committed to ensuring that every Naira invested in this project translates into jobs for our youth and enhanced food security for our families,” he said.
Adding that: “We are not just building factories; we are building a future where Nigeria becomes a global hub for bio-resources.”
In his presentation, Olumuyiwa Jayeoba, president of the Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigerian Universities, spoke on ‘Nigeria’s Bio-Economy Framework and Cassava Bio-Ethanol.’
He described the bio-economy as the sustainable use of renewable biological resources, scientific knowledge, and innovation to produce goods, services, and energy.
“Bio-economy has the capacity to bring many people out of poverty, improve energy and food security,” he added.
