The Global Cassava Partnership for the 21^st (GCP21) century will on 17 April 2018 hold a world press conference to announce the fourth International Cassava Conference billed to take place in Cotonou, Benin in 11-15 June 2018.

Part of the press conference will be exhibition of cassava products including cassava bread, cassava ethanol, cassava snacks, cassava flour, cassava starch, which is used for pharmaceutical products; and traditional products such as cassava fufu, yellow gari among others.

The world press conference and exhibition are part of activities earmarked to raise awareness on the potential of the root crop which many term as ‘Africa’s white gold’.

The press conference in Lagos will have in attendance Dr Claude Fauquet, Director of the GCP 21; Malachy Akoroda, Director designate; Peter Kulakow, Cassava Breeder with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; and Godwin Atser, Conference Communication Coordinator.

Founded in 2003, GCP21 is a not-for-profit international alliance of 45 organizations and coordinated by Claude Fauquet and Joe Tohme of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). It aims to fill gaps in cassava research and development to unlock the potential of cassava for food security and wealth creation for poor farmers.

Journalists willing to attend this world press conference and exhibition should contact: Godwin Atser, Conference Coordinator, g.atser@cgiar.org for accreditation on or before 14 April 2018.

Date: 17 April 2018.

Time: 10:30 Am

Venue: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Guest House, Ikeja, Plots 531-532, (Off Agidingbi) Wempco Road, Ogba Estate.