Firm donates cassava processing machine to Ogun community

In a bold move to empower rural processors and farmers across Nigeria’s cassava value chain, Cassavaverse, an agro-enterprise focused on cassava-based products, has donated a cassava processing machine to a local processing cluster in Oguntolu Village, Ogun.

The donation marks the official kickoff of Cassavaverse’s Social Franchising Model, an inclusive initiative designed to empower local farmers and processors with capacity building, modern equipment, and access to sustainable markets.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Mrs. Joy Ishegbe, Cluster Head of the Oguntolu Processing Group, expressed appreciation to Cassavaverse for the donation.

“This machine will greatly boost our productivity and income,” Mrs. Ishegbe said.

“With this support from Cassavaverse, our work will become faster, cleaner, and more profitable. It’s not just equipment, it’s an opportunity for us to grow our processing capacity and improve our livelihoods.”

Mr. Olanrewaju Olansile, Co-Founder and Operations Lead at Cassavaverse, described the initiative as part of the company’s long-term commitment to strengthening the cassava value chain in Nigeria.

“Cassavaverse was founded on the belief that the cassava industry can be both profitable and empowering for rural communities. Our model ensures that processors and farmers are not left behind as they are the foundation of Nigeria’s food security, and we are proud to support them with the tools and systems they need to succeed.”

Also speaking at the event, Mr. Ibrahim Oredola, Co-Founder and Strategy Lead at Cassavaverse, emphasized that the Oguntolu Cluster represents the pilot phase of the company’s Social Franchising Model.

“This donation is the first of many steps toward transforming the cassava value chain from seed to shelf.

“Through this model, we aim to build community clusters equipped with modern tools and business support, while we offtake high-quality products like our flagship brand, Garri Max, for national and international markets”, Oredola explained.

The Cassavaverse Social Franchising Model seeks to expand to multiple rural communities across southwestern Nigeria over the next 12 months, with plans to establish ten empowered community clusters capable of processing and offtaking over 10,000 kilograms of Garri daily.

Through strategic partnerships and community-driven innovation, Cassavaverse is redefining what it means to build a truly inclusive and sustainable agribusiness ecosystem in Africa.