Nigerians, eat cassava bread, confectioneries - Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan at the weekend launched the commercialisation of cassava bread to boost the government’s policy of injecting 40 per cent cassava into bread and other confectionaries.

The President promised new tax incentives for cassava flour millers and processors.

Nigeria, he said, would save N250 billion foreign exchange from reduced import of wheat and wheat flour, while 1.3million jobs are expected to be created in the next four years under the cassava bread policy.


Last November, at one of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings, the President presented a sample of cassava bread with the Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adesina. He approved the policy and pleaded with bakers to key into the policy.
Dr Jonathan yesterday assured those implementing the policy of a zero per cent duty on all agricultural equipment and processing equipment.

He said he has kept his promise of eating cassava since the presentation of the cassava bread, with 40 per cent high quality cassava flour and 60 per cent wheat flour. The bread was developed by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State.

The import of the cassava bread, the President noted, “is that our cassava farmers and processors, most of whom toil endlessly and earn little for their efforts, now have cause to dream again as the government has begun the implementation of a cassava transformation action plan”.

Dr Jonathan added: “Our goal is to expand the market for cassava farmers and turn Nigeria into the largest processor of cassava in the world. It is our earnest expectation that the action plan will create 1.3 million jobs in the next four years as we move into food manufacturing and industry uses of cassava.
“We believe that the prosperity of Nigeria must start with improving the lives and livelihood of Nigerian farmers and revitalising our rural economies across the nation. In line with this goal, we are irrevocably committed to developing the market for alternative uses of cassava and reducing the dependence on food import.

“To promote rapid commercialisation of cassava flour with wheat flour for bread and confectioneries, we announced new fiscal policy measures as part of our 2012 budget. These include zero per cent duties on all agricultural equipment and processing equipment for cassava processing and new tax incentives for flour millers and processors who embrace the use of cassava flour.

“The Federal Government is already facilitating the manufacture and import of 18 large scale cassava processing plants. These will be located in areas of high cassava production. It is not going to be based on politics...”
The Managing Director of Food Concepts, Deji Akinyanju, noted that the growth of cassava products would assist the local consumption of cassava flour and create jobs for Nigerians.

Present at the event were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim; the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN); and the Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd.).