Abstract
Cassava is the popular name of the tuberous plant Manihot esculenta. The tubers can be processed into products ranging from gari, akpu (fufu) or chikwangue, lafun (cassava flour), cassava cakes, and tapioca to alcoholic drinks (brukutu or cassava beer). The various types of cassava meals provide about 65% of total calorie intake of the poor of Nigeria and indeed of sub-Saharan Africa. Gari can be consumed in various forms, including flakes or made into a dough-like paste called eba and consumed with soup or sauce. Micronutrient deficiencies are common in areas where cassava is the main staple. Although supplementation is useful, it is not the solution to the elimination of micronutrient deficiency disorders in Africa because of numerous shortcomings, such as cost, transportation difficulties, and poor compliance. The simplest and most sustainable approach is fortification of staple foods with limiting micronutrients. Our pilot studies indicate that gari and lafun can be easily fortified with vitamin A and with B vitamins, as well as the minerals, iron, iodine, zinc, and calcium. It is our goal to develop feasible means of fortifying cassava for the benefit of the poor population of Nigeria and as an example for other cassava-consuming regions.