By Thompson Sylvester
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) says it has trained no fewer than 500 cassava processors to support Nigeria’s drive towards increased use of cassava flour in bread production.
This is contained in a statement issued by Alex Abutu, AATF Communication Officer, West and Central Africa in Abuja on Thursday.
Abutu said the training was conducted under the Cassava Mechanisation and Agroprocessing Project in collaboration with Master Bakers.
He said the initiative was designed to strengthen local capacity for implementation of Nigeria’s 80/20 cassava bread policy.
According to him, the policy seeks to replace up to 20 per cent of wheat flour in bread with High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF).
He said that Nigeria remained one of the world’s largest cassava producers in spite of spending huge sums annually on wheat imports.
Abutu said stakeholders at an AATF-facilitated training in Fasola, Oyo State, highlighted growing progress in aligning policy objectives with grassroots capacity development.
He quoted Mr Samuel Ogunleye, AATF Project Coordinator for the Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-Processing Project, as saying that the training created significant economic opportunities.
Ogunleye said processors would gain skills needed to produce bread using HQCF, enabling them to generate additional income through value addition.
He added that a mini bakery facility within the processing centre would provide practical opportunities for processors to apply acquired skills and expand operations.
Abutu also quoted Mr Nura Musa of Master Bakers as describing the initiative as a practical strategy for reducing dependence on imported wheat.
Musa said the programme was equipping processors with technical knowledge required to produce HQCF and integrate cassava flour into mainstream baking.
He said the training would create new income streams while improving livelihoods across the cassava value chain.
According to him, capacity building is helping to address long-standing challenges of limited processing knowledge and inconsistent product quality.
Abutu said the programme was expected to deliver wider economic benefits through increased substitution of imported wheat with locally produced cassava flour.
He said that greater utilisation of cassava could reduce import bills, ease pressure on foreign exchange and stimulate rural economies.
He said analysts projected that partial implementation of the 80/20 policy could save Nigeria hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Abutu further said that processors participating in the training expressed confidence that the acquired skills would immediately improve their businesses.
He said that participants received training on producing cassava-based white, coconut and fruit bread, as well as cakes and confectioneries.
Abutu said the intervention was expanding commercial opportunities for cassava and strengthening its position as a viable industrial raw material.
He also said that such initiatives were critical to Nigeria’s efforts to localise food systems and reduce dependence on imports.
According to him, the project is helping to bridge the gap between policy and practice while promoting a resilient and inclusive agricultural economy.(NAN)
Edited by Uche Anunne