Nigeria's cocoa production peaked in 2006 and has since faced fluctuations and declines

Nigeria's cocoa production has seen significant fluctuations between 1990 and 2022. While there have been periods of growth, such as the increase from 244k tonnes in 1990 to 485k tonnes in 2006, there have also been notable declines. Production hit a low of 203k tonnes in 1995 and faced other dips. Here is the quantity of cocoa produced in Nigeria since 1990.

Source:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Period:

1990 - 2022
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Netherlands, US, and Germany dominated cocoa imports from 1961 to 2023
  • Netherlands imported the most cocoa beans — 25.48 million tonnes (1961–2023)
  • US (21.1M) and Germany (16.8M) followed in total volume
  • These three countries dominated the top 5 nearly every year
  • Malaysia, UK, France, and Belgium also ranked high over time
  • USSR stayed in the top 10 despite dissolving in 1991
  • Global cocoa imports grew from 1M tonnes in 1961 to nearly 4M in 2023
Between 1961 and 2022, African wine production decreased by 43%, with recent years’ production levels falling below the volume in the 1960s and 1970s
Key Takeaways:
  • African wine production peaked in 1965 at 2.39 million tonnes, the highest level recorded during the entire period.
  • The most dramatic single-year drop occurred between 1965 and 1966, when production fell by 40%, from 2.39 to 1.44 million tonnes.
  • A gradual recovery began in the early 2000s, with production consistently exceeding 1 million tonnes from 2003 onward.
  • The most recent peak occurred in 2021, with production reaching 1.23 million tonnes, a 48.5% decline from the 1965 high.
  • Despite this partial recovery, current production levels remain well below the highs of the 1960s.
  • As of 2022, African wine production stood at 1.16 million tonnes, representing a 43% decrease from 1961.
Egypt produced over 10.2 million tonnes of tomatoes at its 2009 peak, topping Africa for 63 straight years
  • Egypt led every single year from 1961 to the most recent year — 63 years of dominance.
  • Egypt peaked at over 10.2 million tonnes in 2009, no other African country came close.
  • As of 2023, Egypt ranked 5th globally, just ahead of Italy and behind the US.
  • Nigeria hit its highest level in 2015, with 4.2 million tonnes.
  • Nigeria was the only country that got within 1.5 million tonnes of Egypt in 13 different years.
  • Countries like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia remained consistent but far behind Egypt and Nigeria.
  • Egypt’s lead is backed by large-scale irrigation and strong export systems.
  • In 1987, Africa supplied 11.7% of the world’s tomatoes. But by 2023, its share dropped to 8.8%.
How Africa’s cotton production moved: Egypt’s long rule and West Africa’s rise
  • Egypt dominated African cotton production for decades, from the 1960s to the early 2000s, standing far ahead of other African countries in both volume and quality.
  • The early 2000s marked a major turning point, as West African countries — especially Burkina Faso and Mali — began to overtake Egypt in total production.
  • Burkina Faso emerged as the new cotton leader between 2005 and 2015, topping production in key years like 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012–2015, and later reclaiming the top spot in 2020 and 2022.
  • Mali built its cotton strength after 2015, becoming Africa’s number one producer multiple times, peaking at over 334,000 tonnes in 2019.
  • Benin and Côte d’Ivoire quietly closed the gap throughout the 2010s, consistently ranking in the top three, even though they didn’t dominate the number one spot.
13 northern states, including the FCT, produced a combined 56% of the nation's corn output on average in 2 years
Key Takeaways:
  • Kaduna led national corn production on average, contributing 8% of total output, between 450,000 and 947,000 metric tons.
  • Niger, Gombe, Borno, Plateau, and Taraba followed closely, each accounting for 5–6% of the total output on average.
  • Corn production is heavily concentrated in the North-Central and North-East regions.
  • Kaduna and Niger together accounted for 14% of Nigeria’s corn output on average.
  • The top 10 corn-producing states, all located in northern Nigeria, on average contributed 47% of the national total.
  • Southern states such as Osun and Ondo contributed modest but notable shares, each representing 3% of national production on average.
India has led global cashew production for 35 of the past 62 years
Nigeria held the top spot in global cashew production from 2001 to 2010. This highlights a period of strong agricultural output, though the country has since been overtaken by India and Côte d'Ivoire. In recent years, Côte d'Ivoire has emerged as the world’s leading cashew producer, holding the top spot for three consecutive years as of 2022. This shift highlights the country's growing role in global cashew production. India and Mozambique once dominated global production, with India leading for 35 of the past 62 years.
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