Nigeria, China sign agreement on cassava

Daily Triumph - Kano,Nigeria-Nigeria Jan. 21, 2009

(Cassava News) Nigeria and China have signed a multi-billion naira technical cooperation agreement on the development of cassava in Nigeria, Mr James Awoniyi, an agronomist, has announced. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the agreement, tagged: ``Nigerian/Chinese Centre (NC3)'' was aimed at assisting Nigeria develop its cassava value chain.

Awoniyi said the five-year agreement, under the Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) initiative, was also targeted at the development of cassava plantations and creating employment opportunities for Nigerians.``It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of cassava in Nigeria is wasted in production and post-harvest activities. ``To save the future of the crop, there is need for improvement in its value chain through increased yield, processing and marketing,’’ he said.

Awoniyi said that under the agreement, cassava resource institutes would be established in all the cassava producing areas of the country, where problems militating against the development of the crop would be attended to.

A-Dinota to set up ethanol plant in Taraba, Nigeria

USA, Energy Current - Houston,TX,

TARABA, NIGERIA: The government of Taraba state in Nigeria signed an agreement with China's A-Dinota Ventures Ltd. to set up a US$115 million ethanol plant, according to a media report.

The state of Taraba will provide the required land area and the US$70 million sovereign guarantee required for A-Dinota to import the plant equipment from China. In return, 15 per cent of the paid up share capital in the joint venture for the ethanol plant will be equally distributed among the host community, local and state government.

In addition to ethanol, the plant will produce cassava flour, liquefied carbon dioxide and bio-fertilizers. The joint venture expects to sell a minimum of 10 per cent of its output to the host communities. The ethanol project is expected to create jobs for about 30,000 people.

http://www.energycurrent.com/index.php?id=3&storyid=13619