Exclusive Interview With Dr. Tony Bello, Founder & Chairman, Shine Bridge Global | Co-Founder, SingSong Global
1. Shine Bridge Global is launching cassava-based instant noodles in Nigeria. Can you walk us through the product development journey—from formulation and pilot trials in Indonesia to local sourcing and consumer testing in Nigeria?
This journey began with a divine introduction from our drum drying technology partner in the Netherlands, connecting us to a turnkey EPC and food innovation company in Indonesia. Their team later visited us in Nigeria with our strategic partners. It was there we tasted Sago starch-based noodles that sparked a new vision: What if cassava—Africa’s root of resilience—could do the same?
That question birthed a deeper collaboration. During our visit to Indonesia, SingSong Global was formed—a joint venture between Shine Bridge Global and Nigeria’s foremost indigenous cassava grower and processor. It marked a powerful shift: away with ‘do-it-alone,’ and into ‘do-it-together, faster and further.’
Our cassava instant noodles and prawn crackers are now market-ready. With viral test marketing (over 25,000 impressions on LinkedIn) and five proven flavor profiles, this innovation is poised to create jobs, empower farmers, and uplift families. The Remnant Economy has taken root in cassava—and Nigeria is leading the charge.
2. How do you plan to educate and persuade both consumers and food manufacturers about cassava’s nutritional advantages—especially its resistant starch and gluten-free profile?
We’re transforming consumer understanding through real products, real people, and real purpose. Cassava’s resistant starch improves gut health and supports low-glycemic diets—perfect for health-conscious Gen Z and families.
Through SingSong Global, we’re rolling out product demos, school programs, and community taste trials. Our messaging? ‘Healthy is heritage. Innovation is inheritance.’ Whether it’s our cassava noodles or MSG-free prawn crackers, every product is a lesson in food security and a statement of identity.
3. What regulatory or policy challenges have you faced entering the US and Nigerian markets with cassava-based ingredients, and how have you navigated food safety and labeling compliance?
We navigate this space with confidence and experience. With my background in multinational food companies, we’ve structured Shine Bridge Global and SingSong to meet both FDA GRAS standards in the U.S. and NAFDAC protocols in Nigeria.
But we don’t just comply—we advocate. Our participation in the Umudike Seed Innovation Partners Forum reflects our commitment to enabling policy reform for vegetatively propagated crops like cassava. Our joint ventures help partners across Nigeria plug into traceability, safety, and labeling systems with ease.
4. How is cassava compared to wheat or potato in water use, land efficiency, and carbon footprint—and how do you communicate this to eco-conscious brands?
Cassava is naturally climate-smart: lower water usage, higher land efficiency, and minimal input requirements. But here’s the challenge: only 10% of cassava in Nigeria is processed industrially.
At the Cassava Conference in Abuja, I challenged us to shift from low-value roots to high-value food systems. Through SingSong Global, we’re deploying drum drying and extrusion at community-level processing hubs. To ESG-driven brands, we offer cassava as both a sustainable input and a socio-economic catalyst.
5. What role does local community development play in your model? Can you share examples of your farmer engagement strategy?
Community isn’t an afterthought—it’s the heart of our strategy. Through SingSong Global joint ventures, we’re actively engaging cassava cooperatives across Oyo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Cross River states. These partnerships include supply of improved stems, regenerative farming training, and guaranteed offtake.
Our approach creates dignified livelihoods: from rural processors to youth-led snack distributors. One woman in Akwa Ibom told us, ‘You didn’t just give us a product—you restored our place in the economy.’ This is what we call Marketplace Ministry—where community transformation and commercial returns walk hand-in-hand.
6. As you scale cassava flour, starch, and snack production, what technologies and infrastructure are you prioritizing to maintain consistency and competitiveness?
We are scaling with a naturally modified starch processing approach that relies on pre-cooking and drum drying—eliminating the need for chemical modification. This method retains the functional benefits needed for instant noodles, baked goods, and snack coatings—while meeting clean-label consumer expectations.
At the core of our innovation strategy is our deep understanding of starch–protein–lipid interactions, which we apply to optimize texture, mouthfeel, and shelf stability across product lines. Certain proprietary methods and formulations remain protected as intellectual property and trade secrets, ensuring that our competitive edge remains secure as we expand through SingSong Global’s joint ventures.
7. Competition in the alternative ingredient space is heating up. How do you differentiate your cassava offerings to stay ahead?
We lead by identity, not imitation. While others focus on generic plant-based starches, we deliver Kingdom-rooted innovation with three differentiators:
1. Functionality – Pregelatinized flakes, MSG replacements, starch–protein–lipid systems
2. Storytelling – Every product reflects Africa’s wisdom and innovation
3. Scalability – With SingSong Global, we move from proof of concept to proof of purpose
We’re not just selling ingredients. We’re reshaping the narrative of African food excellence.
8. Looking five to ten years ahead, what’s your vision for cassava’s role in the global food system—and how will Shine Bridge Global and SingSong Global drive that future?
Cassava will become a cornerstone of global food reform—fueling gluten-free, climate-resilient, nutrition-forward food systems. Shine Bridge Global will serve ingredient markets across the U.S., Europe, and Africa. SingSong Global will activate co-branded snacks, co-manufacturing hubs, and diaspora food innovations.
But more than business, this is about legacy. Profit is not the god. People are not the product. This is the Remnant Economy—built on righteousness, compassion, and collaboration. Cassava is our covenant crop.
When Nigeria leads, Africa thrives. And when the Remnant rises, the world eats well.
