Nigeria is stepping up efforts to unlock opportunities in its mango industry as the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) intensifies initiatives aimed at boosting production, reducing post-harvest losses, and expanding value addition across the sector.\n<\/p>\n
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With the global mango industry generating an estimated $4.19 billion in export value, according to Tendata global trade data, NIHORT is positioning Nigeria to capture a larger share of the market through improved production techniques, indigenous seed development, and agribusiness innovation.\n<\/p>\n
The Executive Director of NIHORT, Prof. Muhammed Lawal Atanda, said mango remains one of the institute\u2019s priority crops because of its strong economic potential and ability to improve livelihoods, strengthen food security, and create jobs across the country.\n<\/p>\n
According to him, NIHORT\u2019s work on mango focuses on two key areas: production and propagation, as well as post-harvest management and value addition.<\/p>\n
Nigeria currently has between 120,000 and 130,000 hectares dedicated to mango cultivation, a figure Atanda noted represents less than 0.2 percent of the country\u2019s cultivated farmland. He said this demonstrates significant room for expansion in orchard development and commercial mango production.\n<\/p>\n
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To support growers, NIHORT maintains a collection of between 25 and 35 mango varieties and supplies rootstocks to farmers at subsidized rates to encourage wider cultivation and propagation.\n<\/p>\n
Atanda described mango as a strategic crop that can contribute to climate resilience and environmental sustainability because of its adaptability across Nigeria\u2019s diverse agroecological zones. He explained that mango thrives in virtually every part of the country and requires relatively little water, making it suitable for both arid and humid regions.\n<\/p>\n
Beyond increasing production, NIHORT is addressing one of the biggest challenges facing mango farmers\u2014post-harvest losses. During peak harvest seasons, large volumes of mangoes often go to waste due to limited processing and storage capacity.<\/p>\n
To tackle this problem, the institute has developed several value-added products, including mango juice, puree, flakes, and jam. These products not only reduce waste but also create additional income opportunities for farmers, processors, and agribusiness entrepreneurs.\n<\/p>\n
According to Atanda, processed mango products have longer shelf lives and attract higher market prices than fresh fruits, making them more profitable for businesses operating within the value chain.\n<\/p>\n
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The institute is also investing in skills development by training young Nigerians in mango processing and agribusiness management at its Ibadan facility. The programme equips participants with practical knowledge in the production of mango juice, puree, and jam, helping to create employment opportunities while supporting the growth of agro-processing enterprises.\n<\/p>\n
The initiative aligns with broader efforts to promote agribusiness development, particularly among young people seeking opportunities within Nigeria\u2019s agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
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In addition to supporting income generation, NIHORT noted that value addition improves food and nutrition security by making mango-based products available throughout the year rather than only during harvest seasons.\n<\/p>\n
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For MSMEs operating in agriculture and food processing, the development presents opportunities to explore new markets in fruit processing, packaging, distribution, and export while contributing to efforts aimed at reducing food waste and strengthening Nigeria\u2019s horticultural value chain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nigeria is stepping up efforts to unlock opportunities in its mango industry as the National Horticultural Research Institute…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":869972,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[16],"tags":[48290,19851,354088,354089,74002,64,211254,354090,607,354091,195415,184682,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-869971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entrepreneurship","tag-startupfunding","tag-accessibility","tag-aiafrica","tag-aiforgood","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-business","tag-callforapplications","tag-disabilityinclusion","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-inclusiveinnovation","tag-innovationafrica","tag-techforgood","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116756966791569272","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=869971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869971\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/869972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=869971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=869971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=869971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}