As Nigeria’s drive for the diversification of the economy pulls a long shot away from crude oil, with modern agriculture as its new focus, several related companies have joined the fray. One such is IfGreen Industries and Investment Ltd which came into the competitive food market as an integrated agro-allied processing company founded in March 2016. It was set up to harness the massive opportunities, inherent in the Nigeria Agribusiness space focusing first on cassava as an industrial cash crop.
Good enough, it entered the market with a Mission of engaging total Agronomic management practice for best yield and benchmarking against global standards in operations, processing, and service delivery.
Its vibrant vision is to become one of the leading industrial-scale processors of cassava into high quality staple food products and Industrial Products Food-Grade Starch, here in Nigeria and the West-African sub-region.
On its pragmatic policy paradigm, it has commitment to sustainability as a corporate strategy,as seen in different levels of our operations. It aims to build a sustainable business and hence the need for continuous improvement. So confident about its products the company enjoins the consumers to: “Eat right and drive sicknesses away”. Interesting, isn’t it?
That means a right focus on impactful nutritional qualities of its products. But it also underscores the importance of cassava to Nigeria’s economic development. According to the Executive Director of Partnership Initiative for Niger Delta (PIND), Dara Akala Nigeria has the economic potential to generate 427.3 million dollars (N188bn) from domestic value-addition to cassava.
Furthermore, it can earn additional 2.98 billion dollars (N1.2trn) in export of the commodity annually. Akala, made this known during the National Cassava Summit, which held in Abuja, in November, 2021. He emphasized the fact that processing would potentially unlock about 16 million dollars in taxes to the government per annum.The summit was in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Giving details, the PIND helmsman said a 2020 report estimates that Nigeria would need to plant about 28.3 million metric tonnes of fresh cassava roots on about 1.2 million hectares of land annually, to meet the country’s demand for its by-products and derivatives.
According to him, PIND has invested almost 800,000 dollars to increase cassava production, strengthened coordination and relationships of cassava value chain actors, and has promoted improved technologies for cassava production in the Niger Delta region.
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He added: “Through this, we have effectively reached approximately 300,000 farmers with information and training, and facilitated the creation of almost 2,500 jobs and a network of 150 service providers.”
What these translate to is that IfGreen Foods has made a wise decision to venture into cassava farming and processing the tubers into nutritious products. To succeed, it pledges Integrity to make its word its bond, engage in fruitful partnerships, provide excellent service, using team spirit. In fact, the company says that it is so goal-oriented that: “We don’t stop when we are tired, we do when the job is done.”
According to the company “IFGREEN’s research shows that there is a huge demand-supply gap for cassava derivatives whether it’s for use as food or as raw material input for the players in the beverages, bakery, breweries, pharmaceutical, packaging sectors amongst other sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
“Domestic manufacturers are willing to replace the imported substitutes with locally sourced derivatives as this presents significant huge savings opportunities and fewer foreign exchange bottlenecks.”
Since cassava is being promoted as an industrial crop, it willdefinitely meet some of these demands as promised by If Green Farm and also through inclusive production and processing will improve greatly the economic wellbeing of a smallholder farmer. Besides, it will create huge employment, and save scare foreign exchange.
Another factor that stands it in good stead is that sourcing raw material inputs locally has a tremendous potential to bolster the local economy. As part of the projections on processing, it will empower local farmers, create employment and develop the entire cassava value chain.
The journey since March 2016 has been so far, so good. Its investment model features three key operations such as company-owned cassava farm (IFGREEN Farms), smallholder sourcing/Outgrower scheme and company-owned cassava processing plant (IFGREEN Factory).
Looking back, it has invested in this project tangible and non-tangible assets whose value is overUSD 2.1 Million,employed over 60 staff, and boasts of a combined cassava processing facility with a capacity of 15tons/day that churns out staple food products (FMCG) and Industrial products (HQCF).
By extension, the Farm cultivates its cassava on a farm that spans over 200 hectares and has an off-taker arrangement with scores of local farmers under its off-taker system/cooperative. It also has over 100farmers in her Out-growers scheme.
When it comes to partnerships IfGreenFoods has the support of several bodies which include the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Industrial Cassava Stakeholders Association of Nigeria (ICSAN)
On the important issue of cassava processing under safety it is on course to meeting national and international standardshaving implemented efficient Food Safety Management System (FSMS) based on ISO 2000 and HACCP have the following current installed capacities.
That explains why it screens every detail of processes just to ensure that every pack of food that leaves our factory is safe and healthy for consumption. All these would ensure that processing/production areas are maintained to a clean and hygienic standard.
In line with that it has 3 Tons /Day Cassava to Garri Processing Line, 6 Tons / Day Cassava to Fufu Flour Processing Line and the 3 Tons /Day Cassava to IfgreenVita Processing Line. Others include15tons/Day Cassava to HQCF (High-Quality Cassava Flour) and 2 Tons/Day Cassava to HQCP (High-Quality Cassava Peel Mash) Processing Line.
Matching words with action, the company provides all employees withrelevant information, training, and tools necessary to do their job in a hygienic and compliant manner. Such policies are reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to reflect its commitment to providing safe and quality products.
These include Garri flakes: White and Yellow,IfGreenVitaflour(Fibre Rich and Vitamin A Fortified) and Fufu flour. For the former, there is no need to stir on fire, but prepared with boiling water and ready in just 3 minutes. The latter is an odourless fufu that needs no pounding and sweating. One can make a paste and stir on fire and it will be ready in just 5 minutes!
The products are packaged in 1kg, 2kg, 3kg, 5kg, and 10kg sizes using premium packs of re-sealable plastic zip-lock pouches and sacks for the convenience of consumers.
With all these modern farming and processing techniques in place conducted under safe environment, it is not surprising that IfGreen Foods currently enjoys a customer base including top-notch eateries, superstores, hotels, wholesalers, and ordinary consumers nationwide, in addition to African and European importers.
Other food investors and companies coming into the viable market should borrow fresh leaves from the hands of IfGreen Foods.
