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TAAT Cassava Compact and ENABLE-TAAT partner to drive private sector adoption of cassava technologies in Nigeria and DRC
October 27, 2025

Engineer Thierno Diallo, IITA Postharvest Specialist;  Ismail Oyinlola and  Oluwasegun Ibajesomo, Representatives of Agroloop Farms Limited, Nigeria; and Idowu Osun, Business Development Officer, ENABLE-TAAT Compact, during the visit of Agroloop Farms Ltd representatives to the Mobile Cassava Processing Plant at IITA Headquarters.
Engineer Thierno Diallo, IITA Postharvest Specialist; Ismail Oyinlola and Oluwasegun Ibajesomo, Representatives of Agroloop Farms Limited, Nigeria; and Idowu Osun, Business Development Officer, ENABLE-TAAT Compact, during the visit of Agroloop Farms Ltd representatives to the Mobile Cassava Processing Plant at IITA Headquarters.

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Cassava Compact, led by IITA-CGIAR, has partnered with ENABLE-TAAT to strengthen private sector participation in cassava value chains across Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The collaboration aims to promote the adoption of proven TAAT technologies that enhance productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and boost agribusiness profitability.

In September 2025, the ENABLE TAAT Compact worked in collaboration with the TAAT Cassava Compact and the Cassava Value Chain Development (CVCD) Project to engage two private sector companies: Agroloop Farms Limited in Nigeria and Bien-être – Bien Vivre SARL in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to explore opportunities for cassava technology transfer and commercialization.

At IITA headquarters in Ibadan, the TAAT team introduced Agroloop Farms Limited to the Cassava Mobile Processing Plant technology. The company, which plans to process cassava from over 2,500 hectares through its own farms and an outgrower scheme, was advised to adopt the mobile processing plant to convert cassava roots into cake before transporting them for further processing.
This innovation is expected to significantly reduce transportation costs and post-harvest losses, while ensuring higher-quality raw materials, better engagement with farmers (outgrowers), and improved business efficiency. Agroloop’s adoption of this technology will also strengthen linkages with smallholder farmers, creating an inclusive model that benefits both processors and producers.

In the DRC, the team engaged Bien-être – Bien Vivre SARL, a company aiming to establish over 100 hectares of cassava plantations for processing into High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) and fufu for local and export markets.

Benjamin Muganga, Technology Transfer Officer, TAAT Cassava Compact; Adeniyi Ogunkoya, Cassava Processing Specialist, Cassava Value Chain Development Project, IITA Kinshasa; and Idowu Osun, Business Development Officer, ENABLE-TAAT Compact with Kasereka Katondolo Zibrael and Yongesa Mbunge Didier, Representatives of Bien-Être Vivre SARL, DRC.
Benjamin Muganga, Technology Transfer Officer, TAAT Cassava Compact; Adeniyi Ogunkoya, Cassava Processing Specialist, Cassava Value Chain Development Project, IITA Kinshasa; and Idowu Osun, Business Development Officer, ENABLE-TAAT Compact with Kasereka Katondolo Zibrael and Yongesa Mbunge Didier, Representatives of Bien-Être Vivre SARL, DRC.

Muganga Benjamin, TAAT Cassava Technology Transfer Officer, introduced the company to several TAAT innovations, including improved and high-yielding cassava varieties, rapid propagation of virus-free planting materials, good agricultural practices, and post-harvest processing technologies.

During both engagements, ENABLE-TAAT Business Development Officer, Idowu Osun, emphasized how the adoption of TAAT cassava technologies can improve efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness within agribusiness enterprises.

“TAAT’s technologies are designed to help agribusinesses reduce costs, minimize post-harvest losses, and achieve sustainable business growth,” he said. “Through these innovations, companies can achieve up to 40% reduction in labor costs, faster turnover on existing facilities, and earlier business expansion compared to local technologies. By working with the private sector, we are ensuring that these innovations reach more farmers and create sustainable impact.”

He further highlighted that the TAAT model enables businesses to transition from traditional systems to technology-driven operations, improving cash flow, and ensuring sustainable growth. “The benefits extend beyond profitability,” he added. “TAAT supports companies with business plan development, de-risking strategies, and facilitation of access to credit and blended finance instruments. This holistic approach ensures agribusinesses are not only viable but scalable and sustainable in the long term.”

The collaboration marks a significant step in TAAT’s broader mission to de-risk agribusiness investment, strengthen linkages with private sector actors, and promote large-scale adoption of proven agricultural technologies across Africa.

Contributed by Jesutofunmi Robinson


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Olaosebikan, Olamide

Olamide Deborah Nwanze is a Senior Research Associate specializing in gender mainstreaming research to inform participatory and inclusive breeding, variety development, and seed systems policies regarding root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Headquarters, Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Ibadan and holds an MSc and B. Agric in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Olamide is a fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development – Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Policy (AWARD-GRASP) and the Gender Responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT). She seeks to apply her gender-mainstreaming learnings, gender-responsive research, and policy development, and review expertise to facilitate women, youth, children, and vulnerable social group’s access to and adoption of agricultural Innovations that guarantee food, nutrition, income, and livelihood security in Africa. Her current roles include mentoring research fellows, development of guides and training manuals, implementation and adaptation of gender frameworks and tools, value chain actors’ engagement as citizen science partners, policy review and redesign, data management, and analysis. Her current research explores mixed methods and participatory and interdisciplinary approaches to capture and highlight gender dynamics, needs, preferences, and challenges stakeholders face within the agricultural livelihood value chain to prioritize gender-inclusive strategies in breeding programs, policy design, and implementation.

At IITA, she contributes to the implementation of the CGIAR Accelerated Breeding Initiative and Genetic Innovation Programs; participatory and gender research within the NextGen CassavaHarvestPlusRTBFoods, and Tricot-ClimMob 1000Farms Projects; and gender knowledge communication via the G-LENS webinar series, video documentary, policy briefspublications, and blogs.

 

Recent publications

de Sousa, K., van Etten, J., Manners, R. Bello, A., Teeken, B., Olaosebikan, O., et al. 2024. The tricot approach: an agile framework for decentralized on-farm testing supported by citizen science. A retrospective. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 44, 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-023-00937-1

Madu, T., Onwuka, S., Nwafor, S., Onyemauwa, N., Ejechi, M., Ofoeze, M., Ukeje, B., Eluagu, C., Olaosebikan, O., Okoye, B., 2024. Gender-Inclusive Consumer Studies Improve Cassava Breeding in Nigeria in: Frontiers in Sociology, volume 9, number: 1224504, doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1224504

Olaosebikan, O.; Bello, A.; Utoblo, O.; Okoye, B.; Olutegbe, N.; Garner, E.; Teeken, B.; Bryan, E.; Forsythe, L.; Cole, S.; Madu, T. 2023.  Stressors and Resilience within the Cassava Value Chain in Nigeria: Preferred Cassava Variety Traits and Response Strategies of Men and Women to Inform Breeding. Sustainability 15, 7837. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107837

Okoye, B., Ofoeze, M., Ejechi, M., Onwuka, S., Nwafor, S., Onyemauwa, N., Ukeje, B., Eluagu, C., Obidiegwu, J.*, Olaosebikan, O., Madu, T.* 2023. Prioritizing preferred traits in the yam value chain in Nigeria: a gender situation analysis in: Frontiers in Sociology, volume 8, number: 1232626, pages 1 – 9, ISSN 2297-7775, 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2023.1232626/full

Olaosebikan, O., Bello, A. A., de Sousa, K., Ndjouenkeu, R., Adesokan, M., Alamu, E. O., Agbona, A., van Etten, J., Kegah, F. N.*, Dufour, D., Bouniol, A., Teeken, B. 2023. Consumer acceptability of cassava gari-eba food products across cultural and environmental settings using the triadic comparison of technologies approach (tricot) in: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture,

Teeken, B., Olaosebikan, O., Bello, A. A., Madu, T.*, Cole, S. M. 2023. Qualitative assessment on the positionality and preferences of dyads in relation to cassava-related activities: working with tricot trial citizen scientists https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138326 Type: Manual

Bouniol, A., Ceballos, H., Bello, A. A., Teeken, B., Olaosebikan, O., Owoade, D., Agbona, A., Fotso Kuate, A., Madu, T.*, Okoye, B.*, Ofoeze, M.*, Nwafor, S.*, Onyemauwa, N.*, Adinsi, L.*, Forsythe, L., Dufour, D. 2023. Varietal impact on women’s labour, workload and related drudgery in processing root, tuber and banana crops: focus on cassava in sub-Saharan Africa in: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, pages 1 – 25, ISSN 0022-5142,

Bello, A. A., Agbona, A., Olaosebikan, O., Edughaen, G., Dufour, D., Bouniol, A., Iluebbey, P., Ndjouenkeu, R.*, Rabbi, I. Y., Teeken, B. 2023. Genetic and environmental effects on processing productivity and food product yield: drudgery of women’s work in: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, pages 1 – 32, ISSN 0022-5142, 5

Cavicchioli, M., Zimbiti, T., Teeken, B., Nwanze, D.O., Liani, M., Parkes, E. & Bello, A. 2023. IITA-Gender Responsive Breeding Training Report. Genetic Resources Center, IITA-HQ, Ibadan, 21-23 September, 2022. Ibadan, Nigeria: IITA, (34 p.).https://hdl.handle.net/10568/131368

Agbona, A. Peteti P., Teeken B., Olaosebikan O. Bello, A. A., Parkes, E., Rabbi, I. Y., Mueller, L., Egesi, C., Kulakow, P. 2022. Data Management in Multi-disciplinary African RTB Crop Breeding Programs. In: Williamson, H.F., Leonelli, S. (eds) Towards Responsible Plant Data Linkage: Data Challenges for Agricultural Research and Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13276-6_5

Lora Forsythe, Pricilla Marimo, Sarah Mayanja, Olamide D. Olaosebikan, Esme Stuart, Bela Teeken, Benjamin Okoye, Tessy Madu, (2021). Cross-product Gender Analysis of RTBfoods Step 2 Gendered Food Mapping on RTB Products. Understanding the Drivers of Trait Preferences and the Development of Multi-user RTB Product Profiles, WP1. London, UK: RTBfoods Field Scientific Report, 30 p.

Teeken, B., Garner, E., Agbona, A., Balogun, I., Olaosebikan, O., Bello, A., Madu, T., Okoye, B., Egesi, C., Kulakow, P. and Tufan, H.A. 2021. Beyond “Women’s Traits”: Exploring How Gender, Social Difference, and Household Characteristics Influence Trait Preferences. Frontiers Sustainable Food Systems 5:740926. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.740926

Teeken, B., Agbona, A., Bello, A., Olaosebikan, O., Alamu, E., Adesokan, M., Awoyale, W., Madu, T., Okoye, B., Chijioke, U., Owoade, D., Okoro, M., Bouniol, A., Dufour, D., Hershey, C., Rabbi, I., Maziya‐Dixon, B., Egesi, C., Tufan, H. and Kulakow, P. (020. Understanding cassava varietal preferences through pairwise ranking of gari‐eba and fufu prepared by local farmer–processors. Int J Food Sci Technol. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14862

Bela Teeken, Olamide Olaosebikan, Ireti Balogun, Benjamin Okoye, Tessy Madu, Steven Cole, Abolore Bello, Elizabeth Parkes. (2020). Piloting the G+ customer and product profile tools for gender-responsive cassava breeding in Nigeria. Nigeria: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/13000