Cassava Processing and Rural Economic Change in Igalaland, Nigeria, 1967–2020: Technology, Labour and Commercialisation

Background and Aims: Cassava processing has contributed to agricultural livelihoods and rural economic activity in Igalaland, Nigeria; however, processing practices remain insufficiently examined. This study investigated technological change, labour organisation, and commercialisation in cassava processing across Igalaland between 1967 and 2020. Methodology: A qualitative historical approach was employed, drawing on oral-history interviews conducted during 2022–2023, supplemented by field observations and published scholarship. Seventeen informants—including farmers, processors, traders, agricultural extension officers, community representatives, and knowledgeable residents—were interviewed in Anyigba, Egume, Ikanekpo, Ojapata, Agojeju-Ajocheji, and Abocho. Evidence was organised thematically and chronologically and compared across communities and processing stages. Results: Technological change was gradual, selective, and uneven. Traditional practices, particularly manual sieving and frying, persisted alongside the increasing use of motorised graters and hydraulic presses. These technological shifts affected labour organisation and production processes. Nevertheless, available evidence permitted only limited conclusions concerning machine ownership, control over processing income, and the economic position of gender groups. Processors integrated established practices with newer technologies according to production conditions, labour requirements, capital constraints, equipment availability, market demand, and processing knowledge. Consequently, technological adoption did not follow a uniform progression from manual to mechanised production. Conclusion: Cassava processing in Igalaland developed through adaptive combinations of traditional practices and selected technologies rather than through a linear transition from traditional to modern systems. The findings highlight processors’ agency in responding to local production realities while demonstrating the need for further research on ownership, income distribution, gender relations, and the commercial consequences of mechanisation.