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Nigeria eyes $23b avocado market - THE NATION
There are efforts to get more Nigerians to explore the global avocado market projected to reach $17.56 billion this year . The market was $16.24 billion last year. It is expected to reach $23.29 billion by 2029.
Data from the World Avocado Organisation (WAO) revealed remarkable increases across key European markets. France, leading the charge, consumed a staggering 160,000 tonnes, marking a 6.67 per cent increase year-on-year. Germany saw a notable jump from 110,000 tonnes in 2023 to 120,000 tonnes in 2024. Overall, avocado sales volume across the European continent rose by an impressive 13.2 per cent. The escalating demand underscores Europe’s reliance on imports, as climatic conditions and water resource constraints limit large-scale domestic production. Amidst this burgeoning market, several African nations are demonstrating remarkable success.
While African nations such Kenya and Morocco are reaping billions from the booming global avocado market, Nigeria, a country with immense agricultural potential, remains largely on the sidelines. This startling reality comes as the worldwide avocado market, valued at $16.24 billion in 2023, is projected to swell to a staggering $23.29 billion by 2029.
Kenya has firmly established itself as the continent’s leading avocado exporter, with projections from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicating a 6.3 per cent surge in Kenyan avocado exports in 2025, reaching an impressive 135,000 tons.
Morocco, shipped a record-breaking 56,700 tons of avocados, generating a substantial $179 million in revenue – a remarkable 25 per cent increase compared to the preceding season. Yet, despite flourishing African avocado exports, Nigeria’s production remains woefully underdeveloped and primarily geared towards local consumption.
According to the President, Avocado Society of Nigeria (ASN) Ambassador Adeniyi Sola-Bunmi, “Nigerians are simply not investing in avocado farming on a commercial scale, largely due to the perceived long gestation period for fruiting.”
He explained. “There’s a common misconception that it takes too many years to see a return on investment, which discourages the significant capital injection needed to scale up.”
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The perception, according to Sola-Bunmi, is precisely what the ASN is working to counter.
He highlighted his efforts to introduce viable Hass avocado seedlings from countries like Mexico and Kenya to Nigeria. “I believe this variety of avocado can thrive in Nigeria, and I am happy I could make this a reality despite the high level of challenges we encountered in the cultivation journey,” he stated. The Hass avocado is a game-changer. Its ability to thrive in Nigeria’s tropical climate and reach full maturity in as little as three years makes it an incredibly attractive crop for farmers, a stark contrast to the longer fruiting periods of local varieties. A growing number of Nigerian farmers, particularly ASN members, have begun cultivating Hass avocados due to their higher price and yields.
Sola-Bunmi projected that the variety alone has the potential to generate over N12 billion annually for Nigeria’s economy.
To further accelerate the green gold rush, he noted that ASN is establishing large commercial Hass avocado farms for its members across various southern and central states of Nigeria, including Imo, Ogun, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross Rivers, and Oyo States.
The strategic initiative,according to him, aims to create the necessary infrastructure and expertise to meet global demand.
He told The Nation that his dedication to boosting Nigeria’s avocado sector has earned him an invitation to make a presentation at the upcoming 5th International Africa Avocado Congress in Nairobi, Kenya – a crucial platform for knowledge sharing and networking within the African avocado industry. The event is scheduled between May 27 and 30, 2025 at the Sarit Expo Centre.
