Cassava represents a
valuable subsistence and cash crop in many countries worldwide. The
agricultural potential of the crop in Nigeria has not been fully explored. The
crop was introduced into Africa by sixteenth century Portuguese slave traders
and has been cultivated in the rest of Africa for several hundred years.
Cassava remains one of the most popular staple crops in Nigeria.
Unlike other African countries, Nigeria remains the largest producer of cassava both in Africa and the world at large.
Cassava is the most important tropical root crop. Its starchy roots are a major source of dietary energy for more than 500 million people. It is known to be the highest producer of carbohydrates among staple crops.
Why past government empowerment
programs failed
It has become a culture for various successive governments to come up with one empowerment program or the other. Truth be told, most of the times these programs are used to settle friends and some political jobbers while the real beneficiaries were unable to access the so called benefits of the scheme.
It has become a culture for various successive governments to come up with one empowerment program or the other. Truth be told, most of the times these programs are used to settle friends and some political jobbers while the real beneficiaries were unable to access the so called benefits of the scheme.
The question
to ask is how has the Operation Feed The Nation, Better life for rural women, National
Directorate of Employment, Structural Adjustment Program, Poverty Alleviation Program,
Sure-P and others not mentioned benefited the nation in terms of job creation?
To resolve
the log of unemployment in Nigeria, government and citizens should look beyond
the era of giving and receiving motorbikes, sewing machines, tricycles,
hairdryers etc and few naira notes as means of empowering people. We should
look in the direction of empowering ideas that can generate massive employment
in the like of Google, Facebook, Uber, Jumia, Konga, BRT, Railway etc.
I see no
sense in giving people #150,000 ($500) grants for farming in the name of
empowerment. What kind of farming or business do you expect from such peanuts
of amount talk less of creating jobs from such ventures? This is a joke taken
too far! This route has failed and will continue to fail.
There is
nothing laudable in a scheme that engages graduates for two years with no
salary but a paltry #23,000 (less than $75) allowance in an economy where a litre
of PMS is #145.
The solution
to unemployment is not in the various poverty alleviation programs of
government. Governments around the world should begin to look towards
encouraging massive employment driven corporations in areas like technology,
telecoms, manufacturing, construction, and agriculture to mention few. Cassava
will drive massive employment both directly and indirectly in agriculture and
manufacturing if the right policies and investments are put in place.
This article
is to show how governments around the world and Nigeria in particular could
take advantage of the vast availability of the cassava to drive employment
possibilities for their citizens.
Availability of cassava in Nigeria
Cassava is available all over Nigeria. There are more than 100 species of the crop scattered over the country. The plant can be grown in any part of Nigeria. It is estimated that the world produces around 250 million metric tons of cassava every year, out of which African countries are responsible for the production of more than half of the world total.
Nigeria on
the other hand is leading the world in the production of cassava with its
annual production of 52 million tons. Below is a table showing the top ten
cassava producing countries in the world 2015.
Rank
|
Country
|
Production
(tons)
|
1.
|
Nigeria
|
52,503,455
|
2.
|
Brazil
|
25,349,088
|
3.
|
Indonesia
|
24,009,624
|
4.
|
Thailand
|
21,912,416
|
5.
|
Congo
|
15,569,138
|
6.
|
Angola
|
14,333,509
|
7.
|
Ghana
|
14,240,867
|
8.
|
Mozambique
|
10,093,619
|
9.
|
Vietnam
|
9,897,912
|
10.
|
India
|
8,076,000
|
Table1: Top cassava producing
countries 2015
Some Uses of cassava
Cassava finds
usefulness in various sector of the economy. It is the third most staple food
crop in Nigeria after millet and maize. Cassava is the source of daily food for
an average Nigerian. Prominent products from cassava such as flour, fufu,
garri, and tapioca and starch are daily foods consumed by the majority of the
Nigerian citizens.
The fact
that it is affordable by the majority of the populace, and its rich source of
energy make it a household food source all over the world.
Below are
few of the applicable uses of cassava.
Alcoholic beverages
cassava is a good source of alcohol.
cassava is a good source of alcohol.
Culinary
cassava is widely consumed wherever the plant is cultivated. It is a good source of carbohydrate.
cassava is widely consumed wherever the plant is cultivated. It is a good source of carbohydrate.
Animal feed
Cassava is a good source of roughage for ruminants such as cattle, goat, pig, sheep.
Cassava is a good source of roughage for ruminants such as cattle, goat, pig, sheep.
Laundry Starch
cassava starch is used in a number of commercially available laundry products, especially as starch for shirts and other garments.
cassava starch is used in a number of commercially available laundry products, especially as starch for shirts and other garments.
Biofuel
Many countries around the world have begun significant research to evaluate the use of cassava as an ethanol biofuel feedstock. In countries like Brazil significant successes have been recorded in the quest for an alternative source of energy through cassava.
Many countries around the world have begun significant research to evaluate the use of cassava as an ethanol biofuel feedstock. In countries like Brazil significant successes have been recorded in the quest for an alternative source of energy through cassava.
Other
uses
Cassava starch is used as an adhesive, as a cosmetics ingredient and for making paper. Indigenous people use it as a fish poison. The starch could also be used in the pharmaceutical industry as a binder in tablets. Sweeteners: including high-fructose syrup, and glucose (dextrin, monosodium glutamate, pharmaceuticals, etc.).
Cassava starch is used as an adhesive, as a cosmetics ingredient and for making paper. Indigenous people use it as a fish poison. The starch could also be used in the pharmaceutical industry as a binder in tablets. Sweeteners: including high-fructose syrup, and glucose (dextrin, monosodium glutamate, pharmaceuticals, etc.).
Cassava may
be a useful source of starch for those suffering from celiac disease (gluten
intolerance) as it does not contain any gluten at all. The various products
from cassava represent market development opportunities that government and
citizens can leverage upon in the creation of massive employment.
8 Ways Government can
use Cassava to Drive Employment
The role of Government in employment creation drive cannot be overemphasized. It plays the major roles in the creation of employment in any country. Beyond the ensuring of security of life and properties, and the organization of various summit and exhibitions to showcase the country’s opportunities and resources to foreign investors, there are other very important things to do to make our nation the next destination for would be investors.
The role of Government in employment creation drive cannot be overemphasized. It plays the major roles in the creation of employment in any country. Beyond the ensuring of security of life and properties, and the organization of various summit and exhibitions to showcase the country’s opportunities and resources to foreign investors, there are other very important things to do to make our nation the next destination for would be investors.
1. Establishment of local processing
industries
There should be establishment of processing industries that will feed the manufacturing industries with raw materials from the produce of the various cassava farms at regional and states level. The federal government should as a matter of priority establish such industries in each region of the country.
There should be establishment of processing industries that will feed the manufacturing industries with raw materials from the produce of the various cassava farms at regional and states level. The federal government should as a matter of priority establish such industries in each region of the country.
Each state
should establish at least a cottage factory processing one produce in each of
its division. Government should also encourage private public partnership (PPP)
in this regard.
2. Encouragement of
Institutional investors
Like what Dangote group and some others are doing in the tomato industry. This is one of the secrets behind the successes recorded by countries like Malaysia and Indonesia in the area of Palm kernel. Institutional investors with funds and technology should be encouraged to invest in the economy with regards to cassava and its products.
Like what Dangote group and some others are doing in the tomato industry. This is one of the secrets behind the successes recorded by countries like Malaysia and Indonesia in the area of Palm kernel. Institutional investors with funds and technology should be encouraged to invest in the economy with regards to cassava and its products.
3. Proper legislation
The right policy should be put in place as no investor would like to operate in a place where there is no legal frame work to protect their investments. Favorable laws that will promote investments and the interest of investors should be enacted to allay the fears of stakeholders in the cassava projects.s
The right policy should be put in place as no investor would like to operate in a place where there is no legal frame work to protect their investments. Favorable laws that will promote investments and the interest of investors should be enacted to allay the fears of stakeholders in the cassava projects.s
4. Creation of Enabling
environment
Government must ensure there is peaceful and conducive environment for the investors and their host communities to co-exist. Investors will need assurance of security for their personnel and machineries, and more importantly their investments. A situation where youth groups and various gangs results to extorting money from investors and their personnel will not be tolerated by any serious investor.
Government must ensure there is peaceful and conducive environment for the investors and their host communities to co-exist. Investors will need assurance of security for their personnel and machineries, and more importantly their investments. A situation where youth groups and various gangs results to extorting money from investors and their personnel will not be tolerated by any serious investor.
5. Establishment Community
farm associations
It is not a secret that Nigeria is the highest producer of cassava in the world with bulk of the production from peasant farmers from various communities across the country. However these farmers and farming communities if encourage could do more and become a source of raw materials to the manufacturers who depends on the produce of cassava for their operations.
It is not a secret that Nigeria is the highest producer of cassava in the world with bulk of the production from peasant farmers from various communities across the country. However these farmers and farming communities if encourage could do more and become a source of raw materials to the manufacturers who depends on the produce of cassava for their operations.
6. Provision of basic amenities
Government should provide basic amenities that will encourage people to be willing to work and live in the core cassava production areas. In this age of technology and internet it is not out of place if Government concentrates effort in providing basic amenities like electricity, water, road and telephone with internet access.
Government should provide basic amenities that will encourage people to be willing to work and live in the core cassava production areas. In this age of technology and internet it is not out of place if Government concentrates effort in providing basic amenities like electricity, water, road and telephone with internet access.
7. Establishment of
cassava research institute with proper funding
There are too many research institutes in this country that are moribund due to lack of funding and proper oversight. Cassava research institute should be established if possible in each region and well funded to allow it meet its objectives.
There are too many research institutes in this country that are moribund due to lack of funding and proper oversight. Cassava research institute should be established if possible in each region and well funded to allow it meet its objectives.
8. Provision of
fertilizers and farming equipments
Government can lower duties on fertilizers and other farming chemicals, and equipments to make them more available and accessible by farmers pending the time that there will be sufficient supply locally. It is important to know that if we want more people involve in the production of cassava effort should be geared towards the provision of their basic needs.
Government can lower duties on fertilizers and other farming chemicals, and equipments to make them more available and accessible by farmers pending the time that there will be sufficient supply locally. It is important to know that if we want more people involve in the production of cassava effort should be geared towards the provision of their basic needs.
There is no
need to subsidize fertilizers and farming equipments like it has been done in
the past, all we need is an environment that enables manufacturers of those
things to thrive.
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