Nigeria's push to expand non-oil earnings—now exceeding $2.7 billion—could receive a major boost if the country fully develops the sunflower seed value chain, experts have said. Despite having suitable land and growing demand, Nigeria currently produces less than 300,000 tons, far behind South Africa's 700,000 tons.
Export experts project that Nigeria could earn $1.5 billion from sunflower seeds alone and up to $3.5 billion from the full value chain, creating significant opportunities for smallholder farmers, agro-processors, logistics providers, and export-oriented SMEs.
Executive Secretary of the Institute of Export Operations & Management (IEOM), Ofon Udofia, said sunflower seeds offer dual export value—serving food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, making them one of the most versatile commodities for SMEs entering the global market. He noted that demand from Europe remains strong but "Nigeria must increase production and fix logistics and certification bottlenecks" to compete.
The oilseed's global market value—projected to hit $2.41 billion by 2035—and its use in cholesterol-free vegetable oil further position sunflower as a lucrative export crop. Yet Nigeria currently earns only about $200,000 from the value chain, far below its potential.
National President of the Sunflower Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NSUNGPMAN), Jibrin Bukar, said Nigeria has the natural advantage to become a continental leader, urging heavy investment and farmer support. He noted that sunflower "grows almost everywhere except waterlogged areas," making it a scalable crop for MSMEs in rural regions.
Bukar emphasised that with proper incentives, Nigeria's production could rise from just over 200,000 metric tons to 600,000–750,000 metric tons, enabling more SME processors to enter oil extraction, cosmetics manufacturing, and packaged food production.
The CEO of the Produce Export Development Alliance (PEDA), Adetiloye Aiyeola, highlighted export readiness as a major barrier, saying Nigeria must strengthen supply chain organisation, aggregation, moisture control, and traceability. Failure to meet international standards, he warned, can lead to entire-country downgrades by buyers.
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He added that global demand for sunflower seeds exceeded 56 million tons last year, with combined oil and seed markets valued at $58 billion by 2035. Markets in Egypt, the Middle East, India, and Europe are already showing strong interest in Nigerian supply—but require consistent quality.
Aiyeola said: "If SMEs organise growers and aggregators properly, sunflower can become a major income crop and a stable export line for Nigeria."
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), through its Executive Director, Dr. Ezra Yakusak, reiterated its support to make Nigeria's sunflower products globally competitive, noting that the sector aligns with the country's target to grow non-oil exports.
Global instability in leading production hubs—Ukraine and Russia—has reduced supply and created price volatility, opening a strong window for emerging producers like Nigeria. The USDA recently cut global sunflower forecasts by 1 million tons due to lower harvests in those regions.
Africa's refined sunflower and safflower oil market is expected to hit 15 million tons and $20.2 billion by 2035, with Nigeria among the fastest-growing consumers. Experts say this rising domestic demand also creates opportunities for SMEs in local processing, retail packaging, and food-grade oil production.
For Nigeria to capture the opportunity, stakeholders agree on two immediate priorities:
(1) scale nationwide production, and
(2) secure international certification and structured supply chains to support export-ready SMEs.
