By Stella Adeniyi
On a hot Friday afternoon, women from Budo-Omo Alao were seen sitting under different makeshift sheds by the roadside. Some of them were peeling cassava, some washing and one of them was expertly frying garri, a staple food widely consumed in Nigeria.
The sheds were not in good shape. They were made from bamboo sticks and were sparsely roofed with old pieces of roofing sheets.
Rihannat Abdulganiyu, who has been in the garri processing business for about 35 years told UDEME, that garri production is an age-long business passed down from different generations in the community.
Mrs. Abdulganiyu said the women in the community engage in large-scale garri production, selling it in Aboto, a market in the Asa local government, which convenes every five days.
“On each market day, the garri we fry in this town is enough to fill about three pick-up trucks,” she added.
Budo-Omo Alao is not the only town in Asa Local Government known for extensive garri production. Neighbouring communities like Daadi also partake in this venture.
In Daadi, garri processing and cassava farming serve as the mainstay for the residents. During UDEME’s visit to the community, villagers estimated that around 25 to 30 women are involved in garri processing, with each woman producing approximately four bags every five days. As a result, Daadi produces about 100 bags of garri every five days.
Silifatu Lambe, one of the women, said, “We take about four bags of garri to the market every five days, and the entire village is involved in this business. Only the younger wives take occasional breaks, but the older ones like us have no other source of income.”
Despite the long-time and large-scale contribution of Budo-Omo Alao and Daadi to garri production in the state, both communities lack essential facilities that would make their work easier and effective.
For instance, in Daadi, all the women rely on a single worn-out grinding machine to process their cassava produce. This machine is operated by an elderly man named Lambe Kareem, who has been in charge for over 30 years.
In addition, Daadi lacks motorable roads and have only one borehole for water usage.
Mrs. Lambe said, “This single borehole is strictly for drinking. It’s not even enough. We don’t have water for our business. On days when we need to peel cassava, we forgo drinking water and use it solely for processing.”
In Budo-Omo Alao, the situation is the same. The women have access to only one functional grinding machine.
“We have two machines, but only one is operational. This slows down our work,” Mrs. Abdulganiyu lamented to UDEME.
Background
In the past, neighbouring villages such as Ajagusi, Olowooko, Daadi, Aboto-oja, and Budo-Omo Alao were renowned for their significant investments in cassava farming and processing. These towns, situated in the Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency, were the go-to destinations for raw cassava tubers and garri.
However, the cassava business experienced a decline due to the old age of the women previously engaged in it and the recurring conflicts between herders and farmers, which have severely impacted cassava farmers in these villages.
Despite the challenges, some villages are still thriving. Cassava farms remain a significant source of income for many. In towns like Daadi and Budo-Omo Alao, they continue to actively participate in the garri business. Other towns, like Olowooko and Alajagusi, have shifted their focus to alternative ventures such as petty trading and crafts.
To support the cassava business in these villages, Hon. Abdulyekeen Alajagusi, the former representative for the Asa/Ilorin West federal constituency, facilitated the construction and installation of a garri processing factory in 2021.
With a budget of N50 million, the factory was established in Ajagusi, the lawmaker’s hometown.
Garri factory rarely utilised
During UDEME’s visit to the project site in April, the factory had been completed, and the necessary equipment for peeling, pressing, and grinding raw cassava had been installed.
Unfortunately, the factory remained locked during both the April and another May visits by UDEME.
Saka Ajagusi, a village resident and the operator of the factory, explained that the facility is only opened when community members wanted to process cassava.
“We haven’t used it for any commercial purposes. It’s available to anyone in the community, but we usually utilise it for celebrations like marriages,” he said.
No commercial garri producer was found in the village. An elderly woman when approached by this reporter said that most of them have stopped garri production due to their old age.
UDEME’s interactions with Ajagusi residents revealed that the project is not one of the community’s needs thus recording limited usage.
However, neighbouring communities like Daadi and Budo-Omo Alao, which actively engage in commercial garri production and are in dire need of a processing factory, continue to lack this facility for their business.
Other communities refuse to access the factory
Garri producers from neighbouring communities, Daadi and Budo-Omo Alao, told UDEME that they couldn’t use the Ajagusi factory for their business.
“It’s not suitable for us here. We cannot go there,” Mrs. Lambe expressed. “We can only hope for divine intervention. Moreover, transporting cassava to Ajagusi early in the morning is not easy.”
Mrs. Abdulganiyu from Budo-Omo Alao shared similar concerns.
“We have no means of transportation to get there for work. I might not be able to leave this place until 8:30 PM, and at that time, there won’t be any vehicles available to take me home,” she said.
Reactions
Reacting to this, Lanre Osho, the Deputy Coordinator of Elite Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), an anti-corruption civil society organisation, emphasised the need for lawmakers to conduct a needs assessment before facilitating any project.
“Before embarking on a project in your constituency, it is essential to conduct a needs assessment. Does the community genuinely require the proposed project?” Osho stated. He further added, “It is a waste of taxpayer money when the government allocates funds for a specific project, but upon completion, it remains non-functional.”
Reacting to the findings, Femi Alabi, the spokesperson for the lawmaker, explained that the project was implemented in Ajagusi based on the residents’ demand.
“The community requested the factory in Ajagusi, and not in Budo-Omo Alao or Daadi. They made the specific demand,” he clarified.
Alabi also mentioned that the beneficiaries were taking steps to commence operations at the factory.
“They have already held meetings on how to utilise it. However, the community decided to start production using their own cassava since they lack the funds to purchase it externally.”
This report was produced under the UDEME project of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
