Agricultural commodities make up the second largest traded goods from Africa, after natural resources (petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, gold and coal). Agriculture makes up about 23 percent of Africa’s GDP, providing livelihoods for “nearly 60 percent of the economically active population.” According to UNCTAD, intra-African trade could receive a 33 percent boost from the present 14.4 percent of total African exports (with the implementation of the AfCFTA, thereby cutting down the continent’s trade deficit by 51 percent. Strengthening intra-African agricultural trade will “enable countries to take advantage of specialization By producing and trading basic commodities on the continent, African countries can better create jobs and wealth.”

With stronger regional agricultural trade in view, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Pan African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI) established the Africa Cassava Conference, aimed at showcasing the opportunities within the cassava value chain. A local organising committee (LOC) was set up comprising relevant stakeholders in the cassava value chain and led by Nigeria’s National Quality Council (NQI) under the Presidency.

Cassava is widely consumed globally, with Nigeria being the highest producer – As at 2023, Nigeria’s production is at 340 million metric tonnes annually with an increase forecast at 357 million/MT. The versatility and ubiquitous nature of cassava makes it an important commodity for intra-African and international trade. PAQI Chairman, Celestine Okanya, has stated that the “goal of the Africa Cassava Conference is to stimulate industrial application of cassava and its derivatives…in different sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food, [and] energy and aid inter-continental trading through the African Continental Free Trade Area initiative and to which the Federal Government of Nigeria attaches great importance, especially with the Presidential declaration of ‘state of
emergency’ on food security.”

Conference Objectives
The African Cassava Conference is a launch-pad for improved intra-African trade utilising the opportunities for innovation, economic growth and diversification that the cassava value chain provides. The objectives of the ACC are as follows:

• Foster collaboration amongst cassava value chain stakeholders.
• Promote the economic benefits of cassava for intra-African trade and global export.
• Promote value-addition on cassava to improve market value and nutrition; and, ensure food security on the continent.
• Build the capacity of producers and marketers of cassava and cassava derivatives on the importance of Quality Infrastructure within the cassava value chain.
• Promote innovations and new technologies that are beneficial to the cassava value chain.