The President, National Sunflower Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NSUNGPMAN), Alhaji Jibrin Bukar, has highlighted key obstacles slowing the growth of Nigeria’s sunflower industry, particularly limited market access, inadequate financing and weak collaboration needed to improve product quality and standards.
Bukar made these remarks during a webinar focused on strengthening the capacity of small and medium enterprises in the sunflower value chain.
He stressed that stakeholders require stronger institutional support to meet global agricultural practices, ensure standardisation and improve traceability across the sector.
He also called for sustained backing from development finance institutions to build the competence of farmers and processors.
According to industry projections, Nigeria holds strong potential to become a major player in the global sunflower market.
Rising demand for healthier vegetable oils and the expansion of food processing activities are expected to drive consumption, which stood at about 2.2 million tonnes in 2024 and is projected to grow steadily in the coming years.
Experts believe the country could generate significant revenue if investments are directed toward processing and value addition. Estimates suggest annual earnings of up to 1.5 billion dollars from seed exports, alongside an additional 2 billion dollars from processed products such as edible oil, cosmetics and pharmaceutical inputs.
Current production figures indicate that Nigeria produces around 450,000 metric tonnes of sunflower seeds each year.
Bukar noted that output could rise beyond 600,000 metric tonnes with the establishment of large-scale processing facilities.
He added that decentralised processing within production clusters could further increase annual output to more than 750,000 metric tonnes.
Sunflower cultivation is widespread across several states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara. Other producing areas include Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Kwara, as well as Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra.
Despite its strong production base, Nigeria still trails some African countries in output. South Africa currently leads with over 700,000 metric tonnes annually, while Tanzania records even higher figures. Other contributors on the continent include Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
According to reports, Nigeria’s export performance has shown improvement in recent years. Earnings rose from just $14,000 in 2017 to over $171,000 in 2021 following the establishment of the association.
Sunflower, known scientifically as Helianthus annuus, continues to gain attention due to its wide range of uses.
Beyond cooking oil, it supports livestock feed production and serves as a raw material in cosmetics and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Analysts point out that pricing trends remain influenced by global oilseed markets, weather conditions, domestic supply levels and policy direction.
These factors shape farmer earnings and investment decisions across the value chain.
