Nigeria Eyes Big Forex Relief with Cassava Bioethanol Expansion

The Federal Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to integrate about 14 million smallholder farmers into a national cassava bioethanol programme aimed at cutting fuel imports and strengthening Nigeria’s bio-economy.

The initiative, known as the Cassava Bioethanol Value Chain Development Project, is designed to reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products while expanding domestic renewable energy capacity. Officials say the programme could save Nigeria more than ₦3 trillion annually in foreign exchange through the blending of bioethanol with Premium Motor Spirit.

Speaking at a stakeholder capacity-building workshop held for participants in the South-East, government representatives explained that the project seeks to link agriculture directly with energy transition, industrial development and rural economic growth.

Under the programme, cassava will be repositioned from a subsistence crop to a strategic industrial commodity, supporting ethanol production, animal feed processing and by-product recovery, including carbon dioxide captured during fermentation.

Authorities said implementation will follow a collaborative “triple-helix” framework involving government agencies, research institutions and the private sector. The model focuses on deploying high-yield and disease-resistant cassava varieties, attracting investment into processing facilities, expanding market access and improving enabling infrastructure.

Officials assured stakeholders that strong policy backing and monitoring mechanisms would be maintained to ensure the project transitions smoothly from pilot stage to national rollout, with the broader goal of boosting rural incomes, job creation and domestic value addition.