By Atoyebi Nike
The Director-General of the Pan African Alliance of Small and Medium Industries (PAOSMI), Henry Emejuo, says cassava is not just food but a vital industrial tool for Africa’s growth.
Speaking in Abuja at the inauguration of the steering committee for the second African Cassava Conference, Emejuo stressed the need to build local capacity, deepen value addition, and create jobs through cassava-led industrialisation.
Experts including Prof. Hilary Inyang of the Global Institute for Sustainable Development, Uche Egenti of PAOSMI’s Continental Board, and Dr. Umezuruike Okpara of UNESCO’s Biotechnology Centre, highlighted cassava’s role in food security, medical applications, and research-to-industry linkages.
Francoise Sayi of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition warned that post-harvest losses account for 45% of cassava in Benin, while Yemisi Agboola urged scaling production for livestock and poultry feed.
Nigeria’s government, represented by SGF Permanent Secretary Nadungu Gagare, pledged support, saying the conference would consolidate earlier gains and drive inclusive industrialisation.
