Despite being the fourth-largest banana producer globally, Nigeria faces major hurdles in tapping into the $140 billion global banana market. Experts point to issues like poor quality control, inadequate cold chain infrastructure, pests and diseases (e.g., Panama disease and Black Sigatoka), and low value addition as key barriers.

• Nigeria produces roughly 7–8 million metric tons of bananas/plantains annually, mostly for domestic consumption.
• Only a few African countries, such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Cameroon, currently export bananas to Europe successfully.
• Nigeria’s export performance remains low, with just $45,000 worth of bananas exported to the UK last year, compared to Cameroon’s multi-million-euro earnings from the same market.
• Stakeholders urge investment in disease-resistant crops, processing facilities, improved logistics, and cold chain systems to make Nigerian bananas competitive globally.
• There is strong potential for value-added products like chips, flour, puree, and dried fruit, both domestically and for diaspora markets.

Experts stress that with better supply consistency, quality control, and infrastructure, Nigeria could transform its banana sector into a major export revenue earner.