Nigeria has launched an ambitious plan to revitalize its oil palm industry, setting a goal to secure a 10 percent share of the global market and lift two million citizens out of poverty within six years. This initiative represents a significant shift towards structured, investment-led growth across the entire value chain.

Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, minister of state for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, announced the plan at a validation meeting in Abuja on April 2, 2026. He highlighted that oil palm is crucial for Nigeria's economic diversification, providing inputs for edible oils, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed.

Abdullahi acknowledged Nigeria's past dominance in palm oil production, noting its decline to a marginal player due to low productivity, weak processing capacity, limited financing, and fragmented coordination. He stressed that reversing this trend requires disciplined execution.

The strategy outlines a six-year roadmap focused on improving yields, expanding cultivated areas, and modernizing processing infrastructure. It also prioritizes smallholder farmers, who constitute the majority of domestic producers, through interventions like improved seedlings, extension services, and access to finance.

“We cannot transform this sector through isolated interventions,” Abdullahi stated, emphasizing the need for a coordinated national framework integrating public policy with private capital. The plan aims to shift production from low-value primary goods to higher-value processing and industrial utilization.

The government is encouraging investment in modern mills and technology to enhance extraction rates, reduce post-harvest losses, and meet international quality standards. Financing is a key pillar, with a call for stronger participation from private investors, financial institutions, and development partners.

Nigeria is also deepening its engagement with the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries as an observer, with plans to become a full member. This move is expected to foster technical collaboration, improve market access, and align Nigeria with global sustainability standards.

Marcus Ogunbiyi, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, noted that the strategy was developed by a multi-stakeholder technical working group inaugurated in 2024, involving extensive consultations.

Industry stakeholders welcomed the policy direction but cautioned about potential implementation gaps. Joe Onyuike, chairman of the Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria, pointed out that Nigeria's drop from 40% global dominance to about 2% reflects structural failures, particularly weak coordination and inconsistent policy execution.

Onyuike stressed that smallholders, representing about 80% of the sector, must be central to implementation, warning that their exclusion from decision-making could hinder progress. Alphonsus Inyang, national president of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria, echoed this sentiment, viewing the strategy as a turning point for smallholder inclusion.