The modern integrated cassava processing factory at Igbara-Oke, Nigeria, opened by the Federal Government of Nigeria via the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), has the potential to generate 1,000 new employment throughout the cassava value chain.
This was announced on Monday during the plant’s opening in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Government Area, Ondo State, by the institute’s Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jumai Adamu-Tutuwa.
Adamu-Tutuwa said the initiative reflected the government’s ambitions to improve the country’s food supply and boost its economy.
The state-of-the-art integrated cassava processing factory, as described by the DG/CEO, would increase output, leading to more employment opportunities and increased income for the state of Ondo.
Recommended: Renewed Hope: FG begins construction plan of 34,500 housing units across the nation
Importance of the fully integrated cassava processing facility
Adamu-Tutuwa, who was interviewed about the cassava processing facility, stated that it needed about 10 tonnes of cassava roots daily and that more than 20 farmers would have to give an average of half a tonne (500 kilogrammes) daily.
In addition, they said the facility will help boost rural economic growth by bringing together all parties involved in the cassava supply chain (including processors, marketers, farmers, and transporters).
Recommended: FG’s ARC-P Programme To Help Boost The Welfare of 41,000 Vulnerable Children In Borno
Our hope is that the Igbara-Oke Community and the surrounding area will benefit from this plant, which will increase farmers’ productivity while also fostering commerce and harmony. Post-harvest losses and wastage of cassava products are other issues that this project will help solve in Ondo and the surrounding area. “The project will build a seamless organisation that is people-centred and technology-driven, motivate farmers and the workforce towards self-development and reliance, career growth, job satisfaction, and service delivery,” the authors write. For every nation to prosper, it is essential that its resources be catalogued and that value be generated via ongoing, market-driven innovation in research.
Read also: 3MTT: Nationwide recruitment of Community Managers begins -FG
In order to achieve economic diversification and long-term development, “Tinubu has repositioned the innovation, science, and technology sector as one of the critical components,” she said.
Adamu-Tutuwa said the plant would contribute to the growth, improvement, and development of the Igbara-Oke Community and the state via prudent use of the facility and the rich soil there.
“If the plant is used properly, it will drive value to Nigerian assets; the fertile land of Igbara-Oke, with the determination to take our place at the forefront of industrialization, productivity, food security, and national development,” she added.
