…Signs MoU With Agbeyewa Farms For 5,000 hectares expansion

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority ( NALDA) has commenced a cassava production intervention programme, aimed at industrialising the cassava value chain in the country.

The interventionist initiative commenced with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with private sector players, Agbeyewa Farms.

The Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Cornelius Adebayo, disclosed in Abuja on Friday that the 5000 hectares expansion programme was designed to make Agbeyewa Farms the anchor operator of the Renewed Hope cassava farm revolution initiative in Ekiti State.

He stated that President Bola Tinubu had a systemic plan to revolutionise Cassava Production in the country, and that NALDA had also marshalled out strategies to increase access to land for farmers.

According to him, the articulated programme was not just targeted at fighting food insecurity, but to create more value for Nigeria’s hard-working cassava farmers.

He revealed that, “Nigeria produces about 65 million metric tonnes of cassava annually—the largest globally—but shockingly, we only play in about $1 million of the $3.65 billion global cassava export market.

“This partnership is our response to that imbalance. We are determined to make Nigeria a major player in cassava derivatives such as starch, sorbitol, flour, and ethanol. Agbeyewa Farms, as the largest cassava farm in the country, will anchor this revolution”, he added.

Earlier in his remarks, Oska Aiyeleso, the managing director/CEO of Agbeyewa Farms, said that the present administration of President Tinubu has demonstrated determination to solve the country’s food system challenges.

He commended the steps taken by NALDA’s management in initiating the cassava revolution intervention, noting that the action will not only make food available but also create more employment opportunities for Nigerians.

Aiyeleso said, “When the NALDA team visited our farm months ago, they promised to return with support—and today, they have fulfilled that promise,” Aiyeleso said.

“Agbeyewa Farms has already cultivated over 3,000 hectares and aims to expand to 5,000 this year. Last year, we were recognised as the largest cassava farm in Africa, and by the end of this year, we will be the largest in the world.”