Taking Local Business to Global Market: The Case for Nigerian Cassava Processing Industry

Nigeria remains the second largest economy in Africa and the 22nd largest in the world with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $1.105 trillion on an annual growth rate of 5% as at 2015. To maintain the position, Nigeria must accelerate her industrial productivity by building new links with the rest of the global economy. Considering the global event in recent times, Nigeria needs to diversify her economy from resource-based to a knowledge-based and innovation-driven one. The cassava processing industry is one of the sectors in the Nigerian economy that can advance such competition. Since the 1980s, Nigeria has remained the global leader in cassava production with an annual production of 45 million metric tonnes. However, the utilization of cassava has largely explored traditional technologies for processing of its roots into human food such as garri, fufu, and flour. Through the application of science, technology and innovation (STI), Nigeria’s cassava processing industry can create substantial new business opportunities that can prominently position Nigeria in the global market. This paper therefore examines some potential paths that are useful indicators of how Nigeria’s economic growth and social progress may unfold through the productivity of the industry. The review concludes that cassava needs to be upgraded into primary industries such as starch, ethanol, chips, and flour in order to provide a strong industrial base for further diversification of the Nigerian economy. The paper recommends, among others, that government should develop a comprehensive programme that involves agribusiness strengthening, external collaborations, promotions as well as provision of technical and commercial assistance, such as export logistics with a view to fast-tracking and sustaining competitiveness of the cassava industry in the global market. Key words: Cassava Processing, Competition, Global Market, Technologies, Innovation