The Federal Government has declared that Nigeria’s mango industry possesses the commercial potential to drive food security, generate rural employment, and expand foreign exchange earnings if stakeholders embrace modern technology, climate-smart practices, and unified leadership. 

Speaking on Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Abuja during the inauguration of new national executives for the National Association of Mango Producers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria (NAMPPMAN), Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, urged the sector to transition toward high-yield, commercialised production.

Represented by the Deputy Director of Horticulture, Hajiya Afusatu Babalda, the Minister pledged sustained government support through extension services, the integration of modern technology, and improved access to concessionary agrifood financing. 

Emphasising the necessity of environmental resilience, Dr Iniobong Adiola-Awe, Director of the Department of Climate Change at the Federal Ministry of Environment (represented by Dr Asmau Jibril), warned that erratic rainfall, flooding, and pest outbreaks threaten orchard yields. 

She called on NAMPPMAN to institutionalise climate-smart cultivation and modern post-harvest storage solutions to secure international climate finance. 

Outgoing NAMPPMAN National President, Abdulkadir Nasir, noted that while Nigeria currently produces approximately one million metric tonnes of mangoes across 120,000 hectares, adopting professional orchard management and high-yield varieties could easily increase national output to beyond five million metric tonnes annually.

Taking the helm of the association, newly elected National President Dr Garba Kangiwa announced a strategic pivot from traditional farming toward a technology-driven industrial ecosystem. Kangiwa highlighted the zero-waste potential of commercial mango trees: 

“Mango seed kernels are already being processed into rich cosmetic creams by local women, while organic farm waste is being recycled into high-grade organic fertiliser.” 

He further explained that smallholders can mitigate the three-to-four-year financial gestation period of new orchards by inter-cropping with short-term cash crops like vegetables to maintain a steady cash flow. 

Echoing this economic outlook, newly elected National Secretary Chief Oji Aso’a referred to mango cultivation as a hidden economic powerhouse second only to crude oil in commercial potential, advocating for state-level distribution of high-yield seedlings to build robust export capacity within two years.

Source: NAN