African Agricultural Technology Foundation trains 500 cassava processors to support Nigeria's bread flour policy

This initiative supports a Federal Government policy, introduced during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which encourages replacing up to 20 percent of wheat flour with high-quality cassava flour. The program aims to reduce Nigeria's dependence on imported wheat, stimulate agro-industrial growth, create rural jobs, and promote value addition in the cassava value chain. Participants received hands-on training in producing various cassava-based baked products.

Samuel Ogunleye, AATF Project Coordinator for the Cassava Mechanisation and Agro-Processing Project, stated that building processor capacity is crucial for a consistent supply of quality cassava flour for bakeries. The project targets training 1,000 processors to bridge supply gaps and support wider adoption of cassava flour in commercial baking. Nura Musa from the Master Bakers’ Association noted that the initiative addresses the gap between cassava production and industrial utilization, improving product quality and supply chain reliability.

He added that the policy offers substantial economic benefits, including reducing wheat import expenditure, boosting local cassava production, and increasing farmer earnings.