Top 15 Agro-Commodities Exported by Nigeria in 2024 – With a population of over 200 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and has an economy heavily dependent on oil exports. However, agriculture remains a major sector of the Nigerian economy, employing about 30% of the workforce. Nigeria produces a wide variety of agricultural commodities for both domestic consumption and export.
The Top 15 Agro-Commodities Exported by Nigeria in 2024 are:
In 2023, the following 15 agricultural commodities are forecast to be Nigeria’s top exports:
1. Cocoa Beans
Cocoa beans are Nigeria’s leading agricultural export, with the country being the world’s 4th largest producer of cocoa after Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia. According to industry estimates, Nigeria exported over $900 million worth of cocoa beans in 2022.Top 15 Agro-Commodities Exported by Nigeria in 2023
The leading cocoa-producing states are Ondo, Cross River, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Kwara. Cocoa beans provide income for over 250,000 households in Nigeria. The cocoa beans are mostly exported to the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, and Indonesia.
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2. Sesame Seeds
Nigeria is one of the top 10 producers of sesame seeds globally. The country exported around $350 million worth of sesame seeds in 2022. The top importers of Nigerian sesame seeds are China, Turkey, Japan and South Korea.
Sesame is mainly grown in the northern states of Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Benue. Sesame seeds provide income for thousands of smallholder farmers in these states.
3. Cashew Nuts
Cashew nut exports earned Nigeria over $300 million in 2022. The major cashew-producing states are Enugu, Imo, Abia, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti. Over 600,000 households earn income from cashew farming and processing.
The top buyers of Nigerian cashew nuts are Vietnam, India, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. There is high demand globally for raw cashew nuts to process into cashew kernels, cashew nut shell liquid and other by-products.
4. Soya Beans
Nigeria produced about 1 million metric tons of soya beans in 2022, mainly in the northern states of Benue, Kaduna, Niger, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Kwara and Kogi.
About 20% of the annual soya bean output is exported as dried beans or as soya bean meal. The exports earned over $272 million in 2022. The main export destinations are China, Thailand, the Netherlands, Egypt and Turkey.
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5. Urea
Nigeria has emerged as a major exporter of urea fertilizer to countries across Africa, Europe and the Americas. With several new urea plants opening recently, Nigeria exported about $260 million worth of urea in 2022.
The Indorama, Notore and Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) member plants have steadily driven up Nigeria’s urea exports. The key importers of Nigerian urea are the USA, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico.
6. Palm Oil
With oil palm plantations across 24 states, Nigeria produced around 1.3 million metric tons of palm oil in 2022. About 15% of this is exported annually, earning around $250 million last year.Information guide Nigeria
The major importers of Nigerian palm oil are the Netherlands, Turkey, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya. In 2023, palm oil exports are expected to increase as more large-scale integrated palm oil mills start operations.
7. Ginger
Nigeria exported 147,000 metric tons of ginger valued at $244 million in 2022. The major ginger-producing states are Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Niger and Gombe. It is estimated that Nigeria has over 500,000 ginger farmers.
A sizeable portion of Nigeria’s ginger output is exported to China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, UK, USA, Germany and Morocco. Ginger exports have been rising steadily as production has increased.
8. Cotton
Nigeria has been boosting cotton production through the revival of ginneries and new initiatives like input subsidies for cotton farmers. Cotton exports earned Nigeria over $240 million in 2022.
The major cotton-producing states are Katsina, Katsina, Oyo, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Ogun, Kano, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba, Sokoto, Kwara, Nasarawa and Gombe. Exports go mainly to Indonesia, Bangladesh, Turkey and Vietnam.
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9. Rubber
Nigeria exported 98,000 tons of natural rubber valued at over $200 million in 2022. Rubber is tapped from wild trees in the tropical rainforests of the Niger Delta states of Edo, Delta, Ondo, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
The major importers are Malaysia, China and Turkey which use Nigerian rubber for producing tyres, tubes, latex gloves and other rubber products. Rubber provides income for around 500,000 Nigerians.Romantic love message
10. Kola Nuts
Nigeria accounts for over 70% of global kola nut exports. In 2022, the country exported kola nuts worth around $180 million. The major kola nut-producing states are Kogi, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Kwara.
Ghana and Germany are the top importers of Nigerian kola nuts which are used in beverages and pharmaceutical products. Kola nuts provide income for about 2 million people in rural Nigeria.Good morning My Love Message
11. Melon Seeds
With a favourable dry climate, Nigeria produces substantial quantities of melon seeds which are exported or processed into melon seed oil and cake. In 2022, melon seed exports were worth around $150 million.
The major melon seed-producing states are Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Kaduna. Nigerian melon seeds are exported to China, Turkey, Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
12. Groundnuts
Nigeria accounts for 6% of global groundnut production. Major groundnut-producing states are Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Adamawa and Niger. In 2022, Nigeria exported 156,000 tons of shelled groundnuts worth $140 million.
The major groundnut importers are the Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan. Groundnuts provide income for over 5 million rural households.NYSC Portal
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13. Mangoes
With a suitable tropical climate, Nigeria grows an abundance of mangoes mainly for domestic consumption. However, mangoes worth around $110 million were also exported in 2022.
The major mango-producing states are Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kwara, Yobe, Oyo and Borno. The fresh mangoes are exported by air cargo to Europe and the Middle East.JAMB portal
14. Tomatoes
Nigeria is the 15th largest producer of tomatoes in the world and the second biggest producer in Africa after Egypt. Key tomato-producing states are Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Gombe, Katsina and Lagos.
In 2022, Nigeria exported 150,000 tons of tomatoes valued at over $60 million. The tomatoes are exported as raw or processed tomato concentrate to Ghana, Togo, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
15. Fish
Nigeria’s exports of fish from aquaculture and artisanal fishing were worth around $60 million in 2022. The major fish types exported are shrimps, croaker, catfish and tilapia.
The fish exports go mainly to Europe (Netherlands, UK, France, Germany); the Middle East (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia) and Asia (China, Thailand, Vietnam). The export earnings provide income for hundreds of thousands of fishermen and fish farmers in Nigeria.
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Conclusion:
Despite being heavily dependent on oil exports, Nigeria has a strong agricultural sector that produces many commodities for export. The top 15 exports highlighted above show Nigeria’s status as a major global supplier of cocoa, sesame, cashews, soya beans, ginger, cotton, palm oil and several other crops.
These agro-exports earn Nigeria valuable foreign exchange, provide raw materials to importing countries and support the livelihoods of millions of farmers, processors and exporters across the country. With the right policies and investments, Nigeria can substantially boost its agricultural exports over the next decade.
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