Abuja: Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have pledged their commitment to ensure enhanced and sustainable investments in Nigeria’s agricultural sector in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. They spoke on the sidelines of the 2025 World Cassava Day declared open by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, held at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Vice-President Shettima stated that Tinubu’s administration had repositioned cassava production to ensure that it becomes a key driver of industrial development and import substitution in Nigeria. The government’s agenda for the sector is focused on leveraging the crop as capital for reengineering the nation’s economy, strengthening rural livelihoods, and ensuring national food and energy security.
On his part, the Director of Strategy at Cavista Holdings, Mr. Kabir Shagaya, discussed the topic ‘Unlocking Capital for Cassava: Scaling Financial Access for Inclusive Industrialisation.’ Shagaya revealed that the company had invested over $200 million locally in the last five years, with plans to invest more in the coming years. He highlighted a $150 million commitment to smallholder farmers in Ekiti to encourage cassava farming.
Olumide Olayomi, Executive Director/Vice President, Government and External Affairs at Cavista Holdings, emphasized the organization’s belief in the potential of cassava through Agbeyewa Farms. The partnership with the Ekiti Government aims to cultivate 100,000 hectares of cassava over the next decade, creating thousands of jobs and bolstering local economies.
Similarly, Mr. Seyi Aiyeleso, Managing Director of Agbeyewa Farms, spoke on ‘Cassava Value Chain in Focus: Strengthening Linkages from Farms to Global Markets.’ He noted that the farm focuses on cultivation, processing, and trading of cassava and its byproducts, contributing to food security and economic development in Ekiti. Aiyeleso highlighted the farm’s rapid growth from 102 hectares to over 5,000 hectares under cultivation within four years, with plans for further expansion.
