Nigeria produces roughly 60 million tonnes of fresh cassava roots annually — nearly a quarter of global output. Yet the country earns a fraction of what Thailand or Vietnam earns from cassava exports, simply because most of Nigeria's crop is consumed fresh or processed at a very basic level rather than being converted into high-value intermediates like native starch, modified starch, glucose syrup, or HQCF.
The global cassava starch market is valued at over $4.2 billion and is growing at 5.4% annually, driven by demand from the food, pharmaceutical, textile, and papermaking industries. Nigerian processors who can consistently supply export-grade material — meeting moisture, HCN, and microbiological specifications — will find ready buyers in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The investment hurdles are lower than many entrepreneurs assume. A modular flash-dryer and milling line capable of processing 5 tonnes of dry starch per day can be sourced from reputable Chinese and Indian manufacturers and commissioned for under $180,000. At current London spot prices of approximately $420 per tonne for native cassava starch, such a facility achieves full payback within 24 months at 70% utilisation.
Our Agro-Processing team has successfully designed and commissioned three cassava processing facilities in Nigeria in the past four years. Contact us to discuss how we can help you capture your share of this growing market.