History, Evolution and Future of Starch Industry in Nigeria

Starch industry has progressed into a business that is worth billions of dollars globally, as they have been found useful in the food, textile, biofuel, plastic and the pharmaceutical industries. Nigeria can be the largest producer of starch in the world. Her major sources are roots and tubers (cassava, yam, cocoyam and potato), cereals (maize, sorghum, millet and rice) and fruits (banana, plantain and breadfruit). Although, all the starch crops are abundantly produced in Nigeria, only less than 1% is processed into high quality starch for industrial processes. This chapter therefore examines the past, the progression and the current state of the starch industry in Nigeria and the roles the government and relevant stakeholders must play in order to revolutionize the industry in Nigeria

Starch: A Veritable Natural Polymer for Economic Revolution

Amidst growing concerns for environmental degradation by anthropologic activities and use of non-biodegradable materials for industrial and household purposes, a focus on natural polymeric materials offers the veritable prospects for future survival. Although some synthetic polymers are biodegradable, the process of production that is usually non-green adds to environmental pollution. Natural polymers are naturally occurring organic molecules such as cellulose, starch, glycoproteins and proteins. They are mostly obtained from plant sources, but are also produced in animal and microorganisms. One of the most abundant natural polymers of multidimensional and multifaceted application is starch. Starch is used across wide-range applications spanning engineering, food and beverages, textile, chemical, pharmaceuticals and health, etc. This is because it can readily be modified into products of desired physicochemical characteristics, thus making starch a potential tool for industrial and economic revolution. The global trade balance for starch and derived products is about $1.12 trillion, presenting a huge opportunity for more investment in starch production. Africa’s negative starch trade balance of about$1.27 trillion makes it a potential investment destination for starch production. This chapter discusses the use of starch in various industrial sectors, its potentials for sustainable economic development and as a veritable natural polymer for economic revolution

Consumption Patterns of Starch Crops in Nigeria, Utilization, Skill Set, and Economic Potential of the Starch Sector

Starch crops are cultivated in abundance in all geographical zones in Nigeria. Demographics and data on starch were obtained from 718 volunteers through an online questionnaire between March and August 2022 and analyzed using R 4.2.1 at 95 % confidence interval (CI). A significant association (P < 0.001) exists between participants and geographical zones. They were mostly 15 - 29 years old (55.43 %), 229 (31.89 %) males, and 169 (23.54 %) females. About 88.02 % were aware of starch crops, while 11.98 % were not. Most of the starch crops are cultivated in the North Central (NC) region (45.09 %; n = 78), Cassava (Manihot esculenta) (37.80 %) and potato (Ipomoea batatas) (25.00 %) are predominantly cultivated in the Southeast (SE) and South-South (SS); rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays), mainly in the North-East (NE) (28.52 %; 41.35 %), North-West (NW) (20.41 %; 30.77 %), and NC (24.49 %; 13.46 %) respectively; and yam (Dioscorea spp.) in the NC (60.17 %). Common applications of starch were food thickeners (37.80 %), livestock feeds (12.80 %), and yeast (11.61 %), which are largely consumed as food (67.16 %). Moreover, 36.78 % prefer the establishment of all industries utilizing starch in Nigeria, with 61.83 % suggesting government interventions than the private sector (38.17 %). However, lack of standardization (43.92 %) was identified as the major challenge of the starch industry in Nigeria. Policy formulations and implementation are necessary to strengthen the starch industry in Nigeria, and to reduce the over-reliance on oil. Keywords: starch, crops, consumption patterns, policy implementation, standardization DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-3-02 Publication date:March 31st 202