Manny Ita
The Cloves Producers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (CPPMAN) has officially launched the country’s maiden nationwide cloves farming initiative, aimed at transforming Nigeria into Africa’s second-largest commercial producer of the spice by the 2026 wet season. The program, which seeks to replicate the success of the global industry leader Zanzibar, involves the mobilization of at least 2,000 farmers from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, totaling over 74,000 participants. National Coordinator of CPPMAN, Malam Abdullahi Shuaibu, announced the rollout during a North-West training workshop at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, noting that the initiative is designed to “cushion the effects of the losses” recently incurred by farmers in conventional crop sectors and provide a more stable, high-yield alternative for rural communities.
Under the implementation framework, participating farmers will receive improved clove seeds, specialized fertilizers, and technical support to cultivate half a hectare of land during the pilot phase. Shuaibu emphasized that the move is a strategic attempt to tap into the high-value pharmaceutical and culinary global markets, stating that “Nigeria will become the second African country after Zanzibar, Tanzania, to produce cloves commercially.” The association anticipates that the transition will significantly reduce the nation’s reliance on imported spices, thereby conserving foreign exchange and creating a robust value chain for young entrepreneurs and rural laborers. To ensure the harvest meets international export criteria, the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) at ABU Zaria has provided a comprehensive technical manual covering pest management and global market analysis.
Financial experts within the association have projected that the 2026 harvest will mark a turning point for the Nigerian agricultural sector, potentially elevating the country to a dominant position in the West African spice trade. Aminu-Yahaya Masanawa, the association’s financial adviser, noted that the initiative aligns with broader national goals of food sovereignty and economic diversification. He highlighted that “the development promises to be a game-changer in foreign exchange earnings and youth employment,” as the demand for cloves in the medical and food industries continues to rise globally. As the mobilization enters its operational stage, the project is being monitored as a critical test of Nigeria’s ability to scale niche agricultural products into major export commodities within a single planting cycle.
