LAGOS, NIGERIA — As Nigeria marks World Cassava Day 2026, a leading food scientist and agribusiness executive has called for a fundamental shift in how the country measures success in the cassava sector, urging stakeholders to focus on industrial value creation rather than production volumes.

Dr. Tony Bello, Chief Innovation and Commercialisation Officer of Matna Foods Limited, said Nigeria’s status as the world’s largest cassava producer presents a unique opportunity to transform the crop from a staple food into a driver of industrial growth, manufacturing and export development.

In a statement to commemorate World Cassava Day, Bello noted that while Nigeria produces more than 60 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, production alone has not translated into widespread economic prosperity.

According to him, the future of cassava lies in its industrial applications and the value-added products that can be developed across the agricultural value chain.

“The future of cassava is not simply more production. The future of cassava is what it is becoming,” Bello said.

He explained that cassava is increasingly evolving beyond its traditional role as a staple crop into a source of industrial raw materials, functional food ingredients, specialty starches, nutrition solutions, biomaterials and renewable energy products.

Bello described cassava industrialisation as a journey from food security to economic security, emphasising the need to move from commodity production to innovation-driven manufacturing of the cassava.

He pointed to ongoing investments by Agbeyewa Farms, Matna Foods and Cavista Holdings as examples of an integrated approach to cassava development in the country.

According to him, Agbeyewa Farms is focused on feedstock security, while Matna Foods is advancing processing scalability. Cavista Holdings, he said, provides governance, commercialization expertise, innovation and investment discipline needed to build a sustainable industrial ecosystem.

He stressed that agriculture, science, engineering, innovation and market development must work together to unlock the crop’s full economic potential.

“The opportunity before Nigeria is much larger than cassava production. It is the opportunity to replace billions of dollars in imported food ingredients, specialty starches, sweeteners, bakery systems and consumer packaged foods with products developed and manufactured locally,” he said.

Bello identified research, engineering, commercialization, private-sector investment and supportive government policies as critical enablers of the sector’s growth.

He also called for stronger integration across the cassava value chain, from improved seed varieties and mechanization to processing, logistics, manufacturing and export development.

The food scientist argued that future assessments of the sector’s performance should focus on value creation, jobs generated, exports expanded and lives transformed rather than hectares cultivated and tonnes harvested.

He added that the vision extends beyond individual companies and reflects a broader movement involving farmers, researchers, processors, investors, policymakers, financial institutions and development partners seeking to unlock the economic potential of cassava.

Bello said World Cassava Day should serve as a reminder that African countries can build globally competitive industries using their own natural resources.

He maintained that science, entrepreneurship and investment have the capacity to transform agriculture into manufacturing and manufacturing into prosperity.

“Ultimately, the future of cassava is not cassava. The future of cassava is what cassava becomes,” Bello said.

He urged stakeholders to work collectively toward building a cassava industry capable of generating jobs, expanding exports and driving sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

Dr. Tony Bello is a food scientist with over 35 years of international experience, he previously held leadership positions with Kraft General Foods, Kellogg Company, and PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, and served as Senior Technical Adviser on Agribusiness during Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda. He is Co-Founder of Shine Bridge Global (SBG), Chairman of Umudike Seeds Company Limited, and an advocate for privatesector-led agricultural industrialization and shared prosperity across Africa.