List of Cash Crops in Nigeria and Where They Are Mostly Found

List of Cash Crops in Nigeria and Where They Are Mostly Found

Agriculture is one of the sources of income in Nigeria because it produces food and cash crops. Most of the foods needed in Nigeria are agricultural products, which are exported to other countries, thereby earning lots of income for the country.

With its long list of cash crops needed in the local and international markets, agriculture has been another way of generating money for the country through foreign exchange using these cash crops.

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Do you want to learn more about these cash crops in Nigeria and where they are mostly found? Then, keep reading. This article is for you!

What are Cash Crops

Cash crops can also be called profit crops, and they are agricultural crops grown mainly for commercial purposes and with the main purpose of making profits.

Being an essential component of the Nigerian agricultural sector, it has a position in the Nigerian Economy.

List of Cash Crops in Nigeria and Where they Are mostly found

Here is the list of cash crops in Nigeria and the regions or areas that have a higher percentage of it:

1) Oil Palm

Oil palm is one of Nigeria’s top cash crops, produced in large quantities, making the country one of the world’s leading palm oil-producing countries.

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It is mostly produced in the Southern part of the country, and the states include Edo, Ondo, Enugu, Imo, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Oyo, Abia and Ogun State.

2) Cotton

Cotton is one of the vital raw materials for the textile industry, which is grown in the Northern Part of Nigeria in the following states: Kaduna, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Kastina, Ogun, Jigawa, Sokoto, Ondo, Kebbi and Zamfara State.

3) Cocoa

Cocoa beans are one of the essential raw materials for the production of Chocolate and Mesoamerican Foods. It is one of the Cash Crops in Nigeria, which has contributed much to the country’s economy.

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The places where they are mostly found in Nigeria include Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Cross River and Oyo State.

4) Cassava

Produced in large quantities in Imo, Anambra, Kogi, Cross River, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Delta, and Edo. It can be processed into granulated cassava (called Garri or cassava Flakes) and fructose, used to sweeten fizzy drinks in the industry; it can also be made into floors for baking.

5) Rubber

Rubber is another cash crop in Nigeria that is grown in the rainforest region of the country and is used for the production of tyres, footwear and other industrial goods.

It is mostly found in Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom State.

6) Yam

They are mostly found and cultivated in Benue state, and other states are Taraba, Niger, Nasarawa, Oyo, Kogi, Ondo and Delta state.

7) Cashew Nut

Cashew nuts are used mostly to produce snacks and confectioneries in the food industry.

It is mostly produced and found in Kogi. Other states where they are also mostly found are Kwara, Oyo, Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Enugu, Benue, Cross River, Imo, Sokoto, Nassarawa, Ogun, and Osun.

8) Tobacco

Tobacco is a raw material needed in the manufacturing industry for the production of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products. It is a cash crop mostly grown in the southwestern region of Nigeria in states like Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, and Kwara.

9) Groundnut

Ground nuts are a cash crop in Nigeria, mostly grown in the northern part of the country, in the following states: Kano, Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi, Bornu, and Adamawa. It is a cash crop useful in producing oil for cooking, laxatives, dyes, shampoo, candies, peanut flour, groundnut cake and many other products.

10) Soya Beans

Soya beans are another cash crop that is very useful to man and are grown in Nigeria. It can be used to produce vegetable oil and biodiesel fuels, soy milk drinks and cakes, and powder for feeding kids, and it has many nutrients the body needs.

It is mostly found and cultivated in large quantities in States like Sokoto, Borno, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Benue, Bauchi, Lagos,  Kaduna, Kebbi, Oyo, and Abuja FCT.

11) Sesame

Sesame is a crop in Nigeria whose seeds are a good source of protein, fibre and healthy fats.

It is mostly found in Benue, Nasarawa and Jigawa States, with other states, including Yobe, Gombe Kano, Plateau, Katsina, and Kogi States.

12) Rice

Rice is a cereal grain that is grown in swampy areas in the following state: Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Benue, Taraba and Borno; other states include Enugu and Cross River. It is a good source of carbohydrates, and it can be used to make appetising and nutritious delicacies; they include Fried Rice, Coconut Rice, Jollof Rice, and Ofada Rice with Stew/sauce/soup.

13) Kolanut

Kolanut is an essential raw material for brewery and beverage companies, with great importance to the southeastern part of Nigeria because it is used to carry out most of the traditions and is mostly found in Ogun, Kwara, Osun and Oyo State.

14) Sugar Cane

Sugar cane is a crop in Nigeria that is locally produced by all the states in Nigeria and is mostly found in Kastina, Taraba, Kano, Adamawa, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Sokoto State.

It provides about 70-80% of the world’s sugar and contains nutrients such as Fibre, water, and soluble and Non-soluble sugar, and it can also be used industrially for the production of ethanol (a chemical compound)

15) Timber

Nigeria is one of the largest timber exporters in West Africa, and the following states are responsible for its mass production: Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, and Delta State.

It is used for paper making, furniture works and other purposes.

16) Tomatoes

Nigeria is the second largest producer of tomatoes in Africa and the 13th globally, and these tomatoes are commercially produced and mostly found in Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Benue, Jigawa and Plateau State.

17) Maize (Corn)

Maize is a cash crop that is mostly yellow and white in colour and is mostly found and produced in Niger, Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau, and Adamawa in Nigeria.

18) Millet

Millet is one of the cash crops in Nigeria, mostly found and produced in Kaduna, Yobe, Kano and Borno states.

It is very nutritious and rich in fibre, iron, calcium and vitamin B content; it can be made into flour for baking bread and Millet juice (Kuju).

There are a lot of cash crops in Nigeria, which enabled her to make the list of one of the largest cash crop-producing countries in the world. These crops have opened the way for national and international trade, thereby creating a platform for the exchange of currencies.

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