Organisation calls for sustainable, quality-driven cassava industries across Africa

The Pan African Alliance for Small and Medium Scale Industries (PAOSMI) has urged the development of sustainable, quality-focused cassava industries to drive Africa’s food security and industrial growth.

Dr Henry Emejuo, PAOSMI Chairman and Director-General, made the call at the 2nd Africa Cassava Conference (ACC 2025) in Abuja, themed “Building Sustainable and Quality-Driven Cassava Industries in Africa.”

He said the conference aimed to unlock cassava’s full industrial potential, emphasising a holistic approach integrating science, policy, finance, and enterprise to strengthen value chains from farm to factory, and factory to market.

“At PAOSMI, we prioritise value addition and sustainability as systemic commitments to managing resources responsibly, empowering communities, reducing waste, and ensuring development today does not compromise the future,” Emejuo said.

He added that as a Pan-African private sector partner, PAOSMI bridged the gap between innovation and implementation, promoting agro-processing, circular economy practices, and climate-smart technologies across the continent.

Emejuo noted that although Africa was the world’s largest cassava producer, industrial productivity remained low due to weak standards, limited investment, and poor market access, forcing the continent to export raw materials instead of finished products.

“PAOSMI’s collaboration in ACC 2025 seeks to promote value addition, intercontinental trade, strategic partnerships, technology transfer, and the creation of regional cassava industrial clusters and hubs across Africa.

“Through these efforts, we envision a continental cassava ecosystem that is self-sustaining, inclusive, and export-competitive, allowing farmers, entrepreneurs, and industries to thrive along the value chain,” Emejuo said.

He added that Africa must stop being merely a raw material supplier and become a global producer, innovator, and exporter of quality cassava-based products such as garri, fufu, starch, chips, flour, and other derivatives.