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Nutrient management in cassava has received little attention compared to annual crops. A study was done to evaluate agronomic efficiency and nutrient recovery of cassava on depleted fields under fertilizer application. On-farm experiments were conducted at six locations in Nigeria across three major cassava growing agro-ecologies of Western Africa for two cropping seasons in 2016–2018. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers were applied at varying rates. Storage root dry matter (DM) yields ranged from 11–35 t DM ha-1. The largest yields were obtained with a mean agronomic efficiency of 60, 162 and 51 kg storage roots DM per kg of N, P and K applied, respectively. Average uptake of N, P and K across locations in both cropping seasons was 364, 44 and 242 kg ha-1, while that of the control treatment was 141, 15 and 73 kg ha-1. Nutrient recovery ranged from 0.42–0.71 for N, 0.18–0.27 for P, and 0.42–0.60 for K. Storage root yield responses to applied N, P and K fertilizers (2-18, 3–16, and 3-22 t DM ha-1) varied across the locations, reflecting variability in potential yield. Cassava can play an important role in future food security for SSA, with high DM yields to provide the energy needs for the growing populations. The strong response to fertilizer with high recovery and agronomic efficiency provide options for intensification of cassava with relatively low environmental risks.