By Atoyebi Nike
The National Cassava Industrialisation Group has thrown its weight behind the Cassava Flour Mandatory Inclusion into Flour Production Establishment Bill, describing it as a major step toward strengthening Nigeria’s cassava value chain and food security.
The national convenor, Tony Bello, said in a statement on Wednesday that the coalition had submitted a memorandum to the National Assembly in support of the proposed legislation. The bill aims to create a legal and regulatory framework requiring the inclusion of cassava flour in all edible flour produced in the country.
Bello said the initiative aligns with the federal government’s efforts to expand cassava farming, develop sustainable markets, and boost cassava-derived industries. He noted that the NCIG is working closely with major sector groups including the Industrial Cassava Stakeholders Association of Nigeria, the National Cassava Growers Association, and research and development partners.
According to him, the legislation is central to the One Cassava Agenda, a national strategy linking farmers, processors, policymakers, and researchers to position cassava as a key driver of Nigeria’s food and industrial economy. He said the agenda aims to mobilise Nigeria’s cassava potential to achieve food sovereignty, rural development, and competitiveness in global markets.
Bello added that the broader initiative seeks to build sustainable raw-material networks, expand contract farming, improve processing capacity, and strengthen market competitiveness through collaboration across the public and private sectors.
At the bill’s public hearing, Minister of Agriculture Abubakar Kyari reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s target of raising cassava production to more than 50 million tonnes annually, describing cassava as essential to food and economic stability.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agricultural Production, Saliu Mustapha, said the bill represents a strategic policy for food security, import substitution, and industrial expansion.
