Agriculture

Nigeria is positioning itself to become Africa’s second commercial producer of cloves, as plans advance to onboard about 74,000 farmers into the country’s first nationwide cloves farming initiative ahead of the 2026 wet planting season.

The disclosure was made by Malam Abdullahi Shuaibu, National Coordinator of the Cloves Producers Association, during the North-West Farmers Training Workshop held at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The initiative is designed to scale up cloves cultivation across Nigeria, boost export earnings, deepen agricultural diversification, and create employment opportunities, particularly for youths and women in rural communities.

Under the programme, at least 2,000 farmers from each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will participate, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to more than 74,000 nationwide. Each farmer will receive improved cloves seedlings and key farm inputs to cultivate approximately half a hectare of land.

Cloves, a high-value tropical crop widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, can thrive in several ecological zones across Nigeria. Stakeholders believe this provides the country with a strong competitive advantage in meeting both domestic demand and export opportunities.

According to Shuaibu, the initiative will place Nigeria alongside Zanzibar in Tanzania, currently Africa’s leading commercial cloves producer. He said the programme is structured to tap into the growing global demand for cloves, positioning Nigeria as a strategic supplier in international markets.

“This initiative is designed to make Nigeria the second African country, after Zanzibar, to produce cloves on a commercial scale,” Shuaibu said, adding that the crop’s profitability makes it more attractive than many traditional staples.

Further insights from the NAN report indicate that agricultural and financial advisers involved in the programme consider cloves production significantly more profitable than grains and most vegetable crops, while also offering a hedge against sudden price crashes that often affect perishable farm produce.

Kaduna State, already a major hub for ginger production, has pledged full institutional support for the cloves initiative, signalling strong subnational backing for the project.

To ensure technical success, Prof. Mukhtar Abdullah of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), ABU, unveiled a comprehensive training manual for participating farmers. The guide provides step-by-step instructions on cloves cultivation, post-harvest handling, market analysis, and international best practices, with a focus on empowering rural farmers, women, and youth.

The cloves programme comes at a time when Nigeria’s agricultural sector is showing signs of recovery. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), agriculture grew by 3.79% year-on-year in real terms in Q3 2025, up from 2.55% in the same period of 2024. Overall GDP growth stood at 3.98% in Q3 2025, reflecting agriculture’s continued importance to the broader economy. Crop production remained dominant, accounting for nearly 66% of the sector’s total nominal output.

However, the initiative is unfolding against a backdrop of mounting food security concerns. Farmers in the North-Central and North-West regions have warned that rising input costs, insecurity, and post-harvest losses are making farming increasingly unprofitable. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects that up to 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the June–August 2026 lean season if urgent interventions are not implemented.

Despite these challenges, stakeholders see the cloves initiative as a strategic opportunity to diversify Nigeria’s agricultural base, strengthen foreign exchange earnings, and reduce overdependence on traditional export crops, provided security and structural constraints are effectively addressed.

Assetrise Limited, in partnership with the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has commissioned a fully locally fabricated three-tonnes-per-hour palm oil processing mill alongside an integrated ranching system at Palmrich Estate Phase 5 in Ibadan, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s drive toward agro-industrialization, food security, and export-oriented growth.

The project represents a practical demonstration of Nigeria’s capacity to deploy indigenous engineering solutions to address long-standing challenges in agricultural productivity and value addition. By combining plantation development, processing infrastructure, livestock management, and logistics within a single estate, the Palmrich Phase 5 initiative introduces a fully integrated agro-real-estate model designed to generate sustainable returns for investors while supporting national economic objectives.

The Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigeria’s foremost professional engineering body with over six decades of experience, played a central role in the design, fabrication, and installation of the palm oil mill. Through the collaboration, the NSE reinforced its long-standing mandate to promote indigenous engineering capacity, reduce dependence on imported industrial equipment, and strengthen the country’s competitiveness across key productive sectors.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Vice President (Corporate Services) of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Dr. Felicia Nnenna Agubata, described the project as a landmark example of engineering-led development. She noted that the mill was conceived, fabricated, and installed entirely by Nigerian engineers, proving that local expertise can deliver world-class agro-processing solutions adapted to Nigeria’s terrain, climate, and production realities.

She further emphasized that the integration of plantation farming, processing, and ranching within a single ecosystem reflects the future of Nigeria’s agricultural transformation—one that is secure, mechanized, technology-driven, and environmentally sustainable.

Assetrise Limited’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Rotimi Ojamamoye, explained that the project aligns with the company’s broader vision of transforming land ownership into productive, income-generating assets. According to him, Palmrich Phase 5 demonstrates how agro-real-estate can unlock long-term wealth creation while positioning Nigeria for self-sufficiency and export competitiveness.

He also highlighted the relevance of the integrated ranching system, particularly in the context of the Federal Government’s policy shift away from open grazing. With ranching now emerging as a national imperative, Palmrich Phase 5 provides a scalable private-sector model that combines livestock management with crop production in a secure and commercially viable framework.

Palmrich Estate Phase 5 has already distinguished itself as one of Nigeria’s most advanced agro-real-estate developments. Oil palm trees within the estate are currently fruiting, with investors receiving scheduled returns, underscoring the viability of the model. The estate is also expanding its nurseries ahead of the 2026 planting season, ensuring continuity of production and long-term scalability.

The newly commissioned palm oil mill captures the full value chain—from harvesting fresh fruit bunches to processing crude palm oil and palm kernel oil, as well as converting by-products into livestock feed and organic fertilizer. This zero-waste approach enhances sustainability while maximizing economic value. It is particularly significant given Nigeria’s palm oil supply gap of nearly one million metric tons annually, a deficit that has driven substantial import bills and foreign exchange outflows.

Beyond crop processing, the integrated ranching system leverages palm kernel cake produced on-site as high-protein feed for livestock, creating a seamless link between agriculture and animal husbandry. This structure not only improves efficiency but also supports Nigeria’s broader food security goals, especially as the country seeks to reduce dependence on imported meat and dairy products.

By uniting indigenous engineering, modern agricultural practices, and structured investment opportunities, the Assetrise–NSE partnership positions Palmrich Phase 5 as a blueprint for scalable agro-industrial development. The model demonstrates how Nigeria can industrialize agriculture locally, create export-ready value chains, and offer investors inflation-resistant, long-term income streams.

As Nigeria intensifies efforts to diversify its economy and strengthen food production systems, projects such as Palmrich Phase 5 highlight the role of private-sector leadership, local expertise, and integrated infrastructure in building a resilient, productive, and globally competitive agricultural sector.