STRATEGIC CONTEXT

According to the IITA, Maize is the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa, offering a diet staple for more than 300 million people. It accounts for 30-50% of low-income household expenditure in Africa and over 30% of calorie intake in the continent comes from maize.

MAIZE SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN NIGERIA

According to PwC, Nigeria is Africa’s second largest maize producer and the 14th largest producer globally. Citing the FAO, PwC notes that 11 million metric tonnes were harvested from over 6.8 million hectares of land, a growth rate of 49% from a decade earlier, and cites data from farmers’ association, which puts the production level at 20 million metric tonnes annually. Borno, Niger, Plateau, Katsina, Gombe, Bauchi, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo and Taraba states account for 64% of the maize production in Nigeria.
According to BusinessDay, poultry feed production takes up about 60% of Nigeria’s maize consumption, 25% going into food and beverage industrial activity and the remaining 15% goes to household consumption.