Nigeria, the world’s fourth-largest banana producer, is facing hurdles in turning its multi-million-ton production into a major global revenue source, despite a rising $140 billion international banana market. Experts say the recent global supply crisis, triggered by climate change and plant diseases, has created a $22 trillion opportunity for new suppliers like Nigeria, provided the country can address long-standing challenges in quality control and logistics.
With an annual output of roughly eight million metric tons, mostly consumed domestically, Nigeria has the raw volume to compete internationally. However, the country currently lacks the consistent quality, regular supply, and processing capacity necessary to meet European market standards. Only a few African nations, such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Cameroon, currently export bananas to Europe, leaving Nigeria behind despite its production scale.
Dr. Olufemi Oladunni, Chief Executive of the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, said that the disruption in global supply has created a massive opportunity for new suppliers. He noted that while Nigeria has the production capacity, it lacks the systems to guarantee quality and regular supply necessary for export markets.
Ambassador Adeniyi Sola Bunmi, Executive Director of Gogreen Africa Initiative, highlighted that Nigeria already produces 7–8 million tons of bananas and plantains annually, mostly for domestic consumption. He stressed the potential for value-added products such as chips, flour, puree, and dried bananas, which could meet domestic, snack, and diaspora demand if quality and cold-chain infrastructure improve.
Dr. Obiora Madu, Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain, lamented that Nigeria’s fresh fruit exports remain “weak and uncompetitive.” He pointed out that Nigeria exported only $45,000 worth of bananas and plantains to the United Kingdom last year, compared to Cameroon, which recorded a 15 per cent rise in banana exports to the UK, earning nearly €10 million.
Stakeholders are calling for urgent reforms to transform Nigeria’s banana sector from a domestic staple into a globally competitive market player. Key priorities include developing disease-resistant banana varieties, strengthening pest control, improving post-harvest handling, establishing cold-chain logistics, and expanding value addition, which together could help Nigeria capture a larger share of the global banana market.
