Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that cassava is no longer just a staple food but now a strategic driver of Nigeria’s industrial development, import substitution, and energy transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja at an event to commemorate the 2025 World Cassava Day, the Vice President said the Tinubu administration has repositioned cassava as “capital for reengineering the nation’s economy,” placing it at the heart of food and energy security, agro-industrialisation, and rural revitalisation efforts.
In a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said “we are moving from subsidy-heavy programmes to investment-led solutions,” Shettima told a gathering of policymakers, researchers, agribusiness players, and development partners.
The theme of this year’s celebration, “Farm to Global Markets: Driving Industrialisation, Food Security and Exports,” provided a fitting platform for Shettima to unveil the Federal Government’s ambitious cassava strategy.
He urged stakeholders to view cassava not only as a food crop for the vulnerable but as a wealth-creating resource for the bold.
The event also featured remarks from Dr Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, who described the celebration as part of the Tinubu administration’s vision to place cassava at the forefront of Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation.
AFREXIM Bank’s Regional COO, Mr Alain-Thierry Mbongue, reinforced the crop’s importance, calling on stakeholders to seize the opportunity to transform Nigeria’s agricultural fortunes.
“Cassava holds the power to catalyse industrial growth, boost job creation, and improve foreign exchange earnings,” Mbongue stated.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Yu Dunhai, IFAD’s Country Director, Dede Ekoue, and representatives from Agbayewa Farms and Cavista Holdings, among others.
The 2025 World Cassava Day celebration underscores the Tinubu administration’s broader economic reform drive — one that positions agriculture as both a development engine and a strategic solution to Nigeria’s food, fuel, and foreign exchange challenges.
