Nigeria strengthens cassava supply chain for industrial use

Nigeria is implementing stricter certification and quality controls for cassava planting materials to boost productivity and secure industrial supply chains. As the world’s largest producer, the country is looking to expand the crop's utility beyond food staples like fufu and gari to support emerging pharmaceutical starch and bioethanol industries.

To support this transition, the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) conducted training in Abuja on August 26 and 27 for seed inspectors and stem producers. The initiative focuses on enforcing three new regulations published in 2025 regarding variety registration, early generation seed production, and third-party certification.

Because cassava is propagated vegetatively through stems rather than seeds, NASC Director-General Fatuhu Muhammed emphasized that high-quality, disease-free planting materials are critical to preventing the rapid spread of crop diseases and ensuring consistent yields for both domestic food security and new industrial markets.