• Nigeria targets tripling yam yields to 30 tons/hectare
• Plan aims to cut post-harvest losses to 25%
• Authorities promote improved varieties, mechanization, farmer support

Nigeria aims to triple yam yields to 30 metric tons per hectare by 2027, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Aliyu Abdullahi said on Thursday at the National Yam Promotion Summit in Abuja.

The summit was co-organized with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Current yields average 10 metric tons per hectare, Abdullahi said.

The target is part of a new development plan for the yam sector, which also seeks to expand cultivated land and cut post-harvest losses to 25% from 40% by 2027, local media outlet Punch reported.

Authorities plan to promote improved yam varieties developed by research institutes such as IITA, expand farm mechanization, strengthen farmer training and improve access to financing.

“By achieving these targets, we aim to close the national demand gap, enhance farmer incomes, and position Nigeria to capture a fair share of the global yam market,” Abdullahi said.

Annual yam demand in Nigeria is estimated at 120 million metric tons, nearly double current output. Data from the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) show production averaged 55.1 million metric tons per year between 2021 and 2023. Yam cultivation spans more than 6 million hectares in Africa’s most populous country.

Stéphanas Assocle