Cassava and Garri Export from Nigeria Explained: Value and Process

Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, and processed products — garri, flour, starch and ethanol — are a growing export, especially to diaspora markets and industry abroad. Like every agricultural export, cassava products sell in dollars, tying a processor’s income to the naira via the exchange rate.

From root to export

• Farming and harvest — cassava grown widely across the country.
• Processing — into garri, high-quality cassava flour, starch or ethanol.
• Export — sold to diaspora and industrial buyers in dollars.

Value in processing

Raw cassava spoils fast and travels poorly, so value comes from processing — the same logic that lifts cashew export and palm-kernel oil export. A fair conversion on export proceeds keeps more of the dollar value in naira, and export finance can fund the processing and inventory.