NALDA moves to revolutionize cassava farming, signs 5,000-hectare expansion deal with Agbeyewa farms

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) said it is set to move cassava farming to the next level as it has embarked on measures to further revolutionize the sector with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agbeyewa Farms Limited, designating the firm as the anchor operator for NALDA’s Cassava Farm Estate in Ekiti State.

According to NAlDA, the partnership, including others already signed are parts of efforts by the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to increase Nigeria’s participation in the $3.65 billion global cassava market with it’s attendant positive impacts in terms of job creation and economic viability for farmers.

While speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja on Friday, the Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Cornelius Adebayo, explained that with the partnership, NALDA is expected to clear 5,000 additional hectares of land for Agbeyewa Farms to expand its operations, in addition to the firm’s existing hectares.


Already, he said as a result of NALDA efforts by creating enabling environment, international companies are attracted to invest the nation’s agricultural sector.

“NALDA has received inquiries from six international partners. Some visited our offices. Six international partners from different
countries, from China, from Europe, from Middle East.
They are interested in partnering because they have seen that the government has positioned a
vehicle that makes investment easy. NALDA makes agricultural investment easy.,” he noted.


He lamented that despite the fact that;
“Nigeria produces about 65 million metric tonnes of cassava annually—the largest globally—but shockingly, we only play in about $1 million of the $3.65 billion global cassava export market.

“This partnership is our response to that imbalance. We are determined to make Nigeria a major player in cassava derivatives such as starch, sorbitol, flour, and ethanol. Agbeyewa Farms, as the largest cassava farm in the country, will anchor this revolution.

“NALDA is not doing it for free, Agbeyewa will pay back at a reduced rate over a longer period, ensuring sustainability while easing financial pressure on operators. This is how government should support the private sector,” Adebayo stressed.


The Executive Secretary equally disclosed of similar partnerships with other firms, saying that already NALDA has finalised talks with other agro-industrial firms, such as; Promise Point Industries, Matna Foods, as well as Casadel in a strategic move to replicate the model across Delta and Kwara States, among others.

According to him, the partnerships will enhance cassava productivity, reduce cost and place Nigeria’s cassava products globally competitive.

“The recent drop in cassava prices is good for our economy,.
It reduces production costs and enhances our competitiveness internationally.


“We are seeing a systemic plan to revolutionise cassava in Nigeria. With Ekiti alone cultivating over 16,000 hectares, this is the beginning of a true cassava revolution.

“As we sign this agreement, once again we commend Mr. President for his love and support and we hope that this will encourage him to see that the little that has been given to NALDA, we have been able to deliver so much and we expect much more from him, ” he said.

In his remark, , Technical Adviser to the NALDA executive secretary, Olusugun Owolabi said the partnership is strategic as it leverages shared expertise, resources, and risk management.

“This MoU is not just a formality—it is a framework that guides our partnership to minimise risk and improve transparency.
Agbeyewa is covering management service provision, input financing, and aggregation under this agreement. NALDA will continue to use partnership models like this to strengthen our cluster farm estates, greenhouses, livestock production and plantation projects nationwide,” he said.


On his part, the Managing Director/CEO of Agbeyewa Farms, Oska Seyi Aiyeleso, praised the NALDA’s boss for his steadfastness to improve, modernize and expand the agricultural sector by; “walking the talk, he made the promise, he has fulfilled the promise, and this is
another level.

“When the NALDA team visited our farm months ago, they promised to return with support—and today, they have fulfilled that promise.

“This collaboration with NALDA will go a long way. It is not just a signing ceremony—it is a new chapter in Nigeria’s agribusiness story.

“Agbeyewa Farms has already cultivated over 3,000 hectares and aims to expand to 5,000 this year. Last year, we were recognised as the largest cassava farm in Africa, and by the end of this year, we will be the largest in the world.”

According to him, Agbeyewa operates on four pillars of cultivation, aggregation, agro-processing, and agro-trading.

He noted that Agbeyewa’s model of large-scale mechanised farming which is supported by eight bulldozers and 26 tractors has attracted both universities and international processors.

He disclosed that the farm employs over 2,300 workers daily, including 35 youth corps members and 1,100 farmers.

“We pay our NYSC corps members ₦100,000 monthly and train them to become millionaires through mechanised cassava farming
While the national yield average for cassava is about six to eight tonnes per hectare, Agbeyewa produces 35 to 40 tonnes per hectare.

“We are transforming Nigeria’s rural economy and supporting the President’s vision of food security and job creation,” he said