The Federal Government has identified Nigeria’s mango industry as a major opportunity to strengthen food security, create rural jobs and boost foreign exchange earnings.
Speaking on Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Abuja at the inauguration of the new national executives of the National Association of Mango Producers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria (NAMPPMAN), Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, called for a shift towards high-yield and commercial mango production.
The minister, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Horticulture, Hajiya Afusatu Babalda, pledged continued government support through extension services, modern agricultural technology and improved access to concessionary financing for agrifood businesses.
The government also stressed the need for climate-smart practices to protect mango production from environmental challenges.
Dr Iniobong Adiola-Awe, Director of the Department of Climate Change at the Federal Ministry of Environment, represented by Dr Asmau Jibril, warned that irregular rainfall, flooding and pest outbreaks could negatively affect orchard yields.
She urged NAMPPMAN to adopt climate-smart cultivation methods and modern post-harvest storage systems, noting that such measures could also improve the sector’s ability to attract international climate finance.
Outgoing NAMPPMAN National President, Abdulkadir Nasir, said Nigeria currently produces about one million metric tonnes of mangoes annually across 120,000 hectares.
He, however, said the adoption of professional orchard management and high-yield varieties could raise national production to more than five million metric tonnes annually.
The newly elected National President of NAMPPMAN, Dr Garba Kangiwa, said the association would move towards building a technology-driven and industrialised mango ecosystem.
Kangiwa also highlighted opportunities to reduce waste and create additional income streams across the mango value chain.
He noted that mango seed kernels are already being processed into cosmetic creams by local women, while organic farm waste can be converted into high-grade organic fertiliser.
He also encouraged smallholder farmers establishing new orchards to intercrop with short-term cash crops such as vegetables. According to him, this could help farmers generate income during the three-to-four-year period required for newly planted mango trees to mature.
The newly elected National Secretary, Chief Oji Aso’a, described mango cultivation as an underutilised economic opportunity with enormous commercial potential.
He called for the distribution of high-yield mango seedlings across states, arguing that the move could help Nigeria develop a stronger export market within two years.
The renewed focus on technology, climate resilience, processing and export development highlights the potential of mango farming to become a more commercially viable sector for Nigerian farmers and agribusinesses.
