Rising Food Prices: Dangote Cement Ibese Commissions Cassava Processing Plant in Ogun

Amid rising food prices and increasing concerns over food security in Nigeria, Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, has commissioned and handed over a state-of-the-art garri and fufu processing plant to the Kajola Host Community in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The company said the multi-million-naira facility is part of its efforts to promote agricultural value addition, reduce post-harvest losses and create sustainable economic opportunities for rural communities.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, the Plant Director of Dangote Cement Ibese, Ayyagari Subbaraidu, described the project as a strategic intervention designed to support cassava farmers and processors while strengthening local livelihoods.

According to him, the project was executed under the Community Development Agreement signed between the company and its host communities in 2022.

Subbaraidu explained that the processing plant would improve the efficiency of cassava processing, help minimise wastage and provide additional income-generating opportunities, particularly for women and small-scale farmers within the community.

“This project is aimed at improving cassava processing, reducing losses and creating sustainable employment for women and farmers in the community,” he said.

He noted that the facility is equipped with modern processing infrastructure, including separate garri and fufu production units, a peeling machine with a processing capacity of five tonnes per day, hydraulic presses, frying systems, fermentation basins, solar-powered boreholes and sanitation facilities.

The plant is expected to enhance productivity and support agribusiness development in Kajola and surrounding communities by providing farmers with improved processing capacity and access to value-added production.

Subbaraidu added that the initiative aligns with Dangote Cement’s commitment to supporting socio-economic development in its host communities through projects that promote self-reliance and sustainable growth.

Community leaders and residents welcomed the project, describing it as a timely intervention that would improve agricultural processing and create employment opportunities for youths and women.

The commissioning of the cassava processing plant comes at a time when food prices continue to rise across the country, with stakeholders increasingly calling for investments in local food production and processing to strengthen food security and support rural economies.