Bill Gates boosts cassava bread with $650, 000

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have provided a grant of $650, 000 to accelerate production of cassava bread in the country, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has said.

The Minister said the grant will be used to support training of master bakers and offer technical support to Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs) on the project.

Adesina made this known this yesterday at the National Stakeholders'Forum on Cassava Bread organised by Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) in Abuja.

The support came through the foundation's Cassava Adding Value for Africa (C: AVA).

He said: 'Our drive to build a sustainable supply chain for the production of cassava flour for bread and confectioneries in Nigeria has received international boost. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through its C: AVA project have provided a grant of $650, 000 for activities to accelerate production of cassava bread in Nigeria.