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By Chinyere Anyanwu
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has entered a joint venture with Agbeyewa Farms Limited to boost cassava production and manage the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate in Irele, Ekiti State.
At the signing ceremony, NALDA’s Executive Secretary, Cornelius Adebayo, said the partnership seeks to accelerate cassava cultivation, enhance food security, and position Nigeria more competitively in the global cassava value chain.
He described the initiative as a strategic move toward actualising President Bola Tinubu’s economic transformation agenda for agricultural transformation and rural prosperity.
Adebayo added that the collaboration was inspired by his visit to Agbeyewa Farms, where the scale and efficiency of operations reinforced NALDA’s decision to prioritise cassava among its key focus crops.
He said, “what we saw at Agbeyewa Farms changed my direction as chief executive. It encouraged me to include cassava as a major crop under NALDA. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, yet we benefit the least from its global export market.”
He lamented that although Nigeria produces about 65 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, its share in the $3.65 billion global cassava trade remained barely $1 million.
To bridge the gap, however, Adebayo said NALDA will support the private sector to drive value addition and industrial processing of cassava derivatives such as starch, sorbitol and flour.
Under the partnership, NALDA will clear 5,000 hectares of land for Agbeyewa Farms to expand production around its existing 3,000-hectare cassava plantation in Ekiti State, while also supporting similar projects in Delta and Kwara states.
He said, “The government cannot run enterprises. Our job is to provide the enabling environment for private investment to thrive. Agbeyewa has proven to be the best and largest in cassava cultivation; they deserve to anchor our Ekiti Mega Farm Estate.”
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He added that the arrangement allows Agbeyewa to repay the land-clearing cost over time at a reduced rate, ensuring sustainability and inclusiveness.
He said, “we are encouraging large-scale farming, in-grower systems and farm estate clusters. This model will not only boost food production but also make Nigeria competitive in cassava exports.”
Adebayo also commended Tinubu’s economic policies for restoring investor confidence as well as attracting international interest in the country’s agriculture sector. He further disclosed that the authority had received partnership enquiries from six foreign investors in the past week.
Also, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Agbeyewa Farms, Mr. Oscar Ayeleso, hailed NALDA’s leadership for fulfilling its promise of partnership and support.
According to him, “this collaboration is a dream come true. Agbeyewa Farms started three years ago with 3,000 hectares of cassava and plans to expand to 5,000 hectares this year. Our goal is to become the largest cassava farm in the world.”
He disclosed that Agbeyewa’s operations have created over 2,300 jobs, including 444 managers and 1,100 farmers, while engaging National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members as trainees on good payment.
He said, “we are transforming rural communities by promoting mechanised farming and youth empowerment. Our yield last year was 35 tonnes per hectare, and we are targeting up to 40 tonnes this year. Every hectare cultivated can make a farmer a millionaire.”
Ayeleso further reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the government’s drive for food security and industrialisation through agro-processing and trading, noting that Agbeyewa currently supplies major cassava processors such as Nestlé and SQC.
Earlier, Technical Adviser to the NALDA Executive Secretary, Olusegun Owolabi, described the collaboration as a strategic partnership aimed at resource sharing, innovation and risk management.
He said, “this MoU provides a guiding framework to strengthen collaboration and ensure transparency. It will serve as a model for future partnerships across NALDA’s cluster projects, including greenhouse, poultry, livestock and plantation developments.”
