Evaluation of Presidential Cassava Transformation Initiative on marketing of cassava products, produced by Micro-Scale Cassava Processing Enterprises in Southwest Nigeria
1O. T. Okhankhuele, 2Z. O. Opafunso; 3O. O. Akinrinola & 4O. J. Ojo
1Department of Business Administration, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
2Deparment of Mining Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
3Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
4Department of Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
Email:omotonia2013@gmail.com;zoopafunso@futa.edu.ng;ooakinrinola@futa.edu.ng; ojojo@futa.edu.ng.
Corresponding Author: O. T. Okhankhuele
ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the Presidential Cassava Transformation Initiative (PCTI) on Local and International marketing of cassava products, produced by Micro-Scale Cassava Processing Enterprises (MSCPE)in Southwest Nigeria. Survey design and multistage sampling technique (purposive sampling and proportionate stratified sampling) were used for the study. 292 respondents were selected for the study. However, 251 (86% of 292) questionnaires were retrieved from the MSCPEs in the six Southwest States. Data were collected from the respondents with the aid of structured questionnaire. The respondents consisted of the MSCPEs that took part in the initiative. Data collected were analyzed with descriptive statistic (percentage, mean score), and the hypotheses were tested with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The research instrument was validated by a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Federal University of Technology, Akure, while Cronbach Alpha was used to test for reliability. The study revealed that the initiative had a significant influence on the local marketing of cassava composite products, produced by the MSCPEs in Southwest Nigeria, but the initiative had no significant influence on the international marketing of the cassava products, produced by the MSCPEs. The study therefore recommends that more efforts be made by the Government, to enhance Nigeria’s cassava value-added products and implement strategies that will help reduce the cost of producing industrial cassava products. This will make Nigerian cassava products more competitive with imported products, earn more foreign exchange for Nigeria, save importation bills, and attract more local and international demand for the products.
Keywords: Transformation; Initiative; Cassava; Marketing; Micro-scale; Processing Enterprises.
