Henry Emejuo, director-general of the Pan African Alliance of Small and Medium Industries, says cassava can be used both as food and as an industrial tool for Africa’s development.

Mr Emejuo spoke on Wednesday in Abuja on the sidelines of the inauguration of the leadership and steering committee of the second African Cassava Conference.

According to him, the meeting is about building capabilities, deepening value addition and creating sustainable jobs through cassava-led industrialisation.

“The conference is not just about cassava as food, but cassava as an industrial tool for Africa’s development. What we need is to build the capabilities of our people, deepen value addition and create sustainable jobs through cassava-led industrialisation,” he said.

Mr Emejuo called for strong engagement with state governments, the private sector and development partners to ensure that the conference achieves its goal of repositioning cassava as a driver of inclusive growth.

Hilary Inyang, a professor at the Global Institute for Sustainable Development, U.S., emphasised the clinical utility of cassava.

Mr Inyang commended PAOSMI for mobilising stakeholders within the cassava belt. He said that the crop’s utility could be expanded beyond traditional use into medical and industrial applications.

Uche Egenti, who represented the Continental Board of PAOSMI, aligned cassava production with President Bola Tinubu’s food security initiative. Mr Egenti said that scaling up production and processing would complement government efforts to boost food self-sufficiency across the continent.

Umezuruike Okpara, executive director of UNESCO International Centre for Biotechnology, University of Nigeria Nsukka, appreciated PAOSMI for connecting academia with industry. Mr Okpara said that such linkages would help fast-track research translation into commercial cassava applications.

Country director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Benin, Francoise Sayi, emphasised the nutritional and economic value of cassava. Ms Sayi complained that post-harvest losses accounted for 45 per cent of cassava production in Benin, describing it as a disincentive to commercialisation.

“With more than 35 African countries consuming cassava as a staple, biofortification and reduced wastage will allow Africa to feed itself and the world,” she said.

Yemisi Agboola, a consultant to the University of Missouri on the Africa Food Safety Initiative, said that cassava’s versatility extended to livestock feed and poultry production.

Mr Agboola said that the timing of the meeting was auspicious, given the growing demand for food security solutions across the continent.

Meanwhile, the permanent secretary of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nadungu Gagare, lauded the conceptualisation of the conference.

Mr Gagare said that the second edition would consolidate gains achieved in the first cassava conference while fostering partnerships and scaling up interventions for industrialisation.

He urged the steering committee to ensure follow-up on recommendations through demonstration farms, value chain programmes and collaborations with institutions such as IITA, state governments and the diplomatic community.

John Bosco Kalisa, director of partnerships and engagement, PAOSMI Rwanda, said that members of the steering committee inaugurated at the meeting would bring their united expertise to bear in ensuring a successful conference.

(NAN)