December 08, 2025 | The Nationon |
Nigeria is missing major opportunities in the global pineapple market, valued at about US$27 billion, by exporting mostly raw fruit instead of processed products, according to Okekunle Akintunde of the National Pineapple Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria. Although Nigeria produces around 1.54 million tons of pineapples annually, a large share is lost to post-harvest waste due to poor storage, cold-chain facilities, and limited processing infrastructure.
Akintunde stressed that the real profits lie in value-added products such as juice, canned pineapple, and dried snacks. Growing demand in the Middle East and Europe for processed fruit presents strong export potential, but Nigeria lacks the modern equipment and investment needed to compete. He noted that high-value juice-processing machines are expensive and currently absent in the country.
He argued that reducing waste through better infrastructure and shifting toward processing could significantly boost farmers’ incomes, national GDP, and export earnings. Pineapple cultivation itself offers high returns from relatively low investment, with short production cycles when suckers are used. Akintunde called for strategic investment to reposition Nigeria as a global hub for processed pineapple, turning abundant production into sustainable national wealth.
