No fewer than 100 women are currently making brisk business from Akpu production at the Cassava/Fufu Processing Centre in Sheda, FCT.
Mrs Justina Ibrahim, Leader of the centre, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Sheda.
Ibrahim explained that Akpu business had helped them feed their families and achieve financial independence.
She revealed that the centre was built by the Kwali Area Council Chairman in collaboration with the Agro Climate Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACRESAL) FCT Project Implementation Unit.
She noted that the business had helped the women to become self-sufficient as well as take care of their respective families.
“When we started, we were not this many. But as time went by and people saw the viability of the business, more people joined us, now we have 100 registered members,” she said.
Ibrahim disclosed that to become a member and participate in the Akpu business, a new comer was expected to pay a ₦10,000 registration fee.
She also disclosed that members source their cassava mainly from Kogi and the FCT, adding that a pickup truck of cassava cost between N400, 000 to N500, 000.
She however lamented the absence of sufficient reliable water supply at the centre, and appealed to the government to provide more for the centre.
She also called for the provision of a machine that would help in peeling and washing of the cassava, thereby reducing the labour involved in the process.
A member who spoke with NAN said that since joining the centre, she has made huge profit.
Mrs Joy Jalo, a member of the Akpu association, said that she joined the business five years ago with a capital of N100, 000, which has now grown to N500, 000.
She said that she had been earning a living from proceeds of the business, which has improved her family’s livelihood.
Jalo said that the business had enabled her to send her children to school and also trained two of her siblings.
She, however, said that the business was not what it used to be in the past due to a significant decline in sales.
”The business use to be vibrant, but these days, with the current economic situation in the country, everything is increasing, and people are struggling to survive.
”In spite of this, we still thank God for everything, at least for being able to provide food and shelter for our families.
”This is because in cassava processing, nothing goes to waste, the cassava peel is used to feed cow and pig, while the fiber is also used as food,’’ she said.