This was disclosed in Ilorin, on Thursday at a two-day training for bakers drawn from the North Central and the South- West.

The Technical Adviser (Cassava Value Chain) to the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Adetunji Oluwatoyin,  who made this known said that the Federal Government was diversifying to non-oil sector of the economy by taking advantage of the potential in Agriculture. 

“For this particular event, we are training 50, for the South-East, we will train 150,” she said. 

While addressing participants at the opening of the workshop, Oluwatoyin urged them to embrace the initiative, assuring that it will create  jobs, uplift rural dwellers and boost the nation’s economy of the country.

She said Thailand, the third largest producer of cassava, is controlling 84 per cent of the economy while Nigeria, which is the largest producer of cassava is trailing behind with Brazil and India also doing better with cassava.

Participants were drawn from 13 states including, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun and Ekiti.

The training is to provide bakers with the requisite skills and how to produce cassava bread using the correct ingredients and proportion.

Chairman, Cassava Growers Association in Kwara State, Mr  Fashanu Gabriel, in a chat with journalists, expressed confidence that the initiative will uplift cassava growers in the country.

Fashanu said the Federal Government had addressed all the gray areas that led to cassava glut some years back.

He, however, urged cassava growers to double their efforts “to attain 25 tonnes as against the eight tonnes  they are currently producing.”