Accessing the World Market for Organic Food and Beverages from Nigeria

Summary

A study in 2005-2006 assessed the opportunities for and constraints to Nigeria accessing the international organic market. The study comprised semi-structured interviews with agricultural produce exporters and government officials in Nigeria, and with representatives of certification agencies in the UK, and focus group discussions with farmers’ groups in Ogun State, Nigeria. Fresh and canned pineapple and mango, ginger, and herbs and spices were ranked as having very high potential for Nigeria in the international market. Fruit juice concentrates, palm oil, cashew nuts, honey and cotton were among those products classified as high potential. Constraints identified included lack of awareness of organic farming techniques, high certification costs, lack of institutional support, enabling policies, infrastructure, and marketing facilities, limited access to capital and inability to capture economies of scale.