Stakeholders across government, research institutions, donor agencies, and farmers’ groups have renewed calls for a full-scale transformation of Nigeria’s yam value chain, declaring the crop central to food security, job creation, export growth, and economic diversification.
The call was made at the National Yam Advocacy Summit, co-organised by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, (IITA) in collaboration with tht Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security , where participants outlined ongoing research, new seed technologies, policy reforms, and market opportunities aimed at repositioning yam as a strategic national crop.
The global yams market was estimated to be valued at approximately $182.3 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2%, reaching roughly $253.4 million by 2032. Nigeria is the world’s largest yam producer.
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, minister of state, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the initiative forms a core pillar of the renewed hope agenda of Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president which elevated food security to a national emergency priority in 2023.
“Yam occupies a unique position in Nigeria’s economy and food system. It is not merely a staple. It is culture, identity, and economic resilience,” Abdullahi said.
“For millions of Nigerians, yam represents food, income, and livelihood.”
While noting that Nigeria currently produces about 67.2 million metric tonnes of yam annually, accounting for roughly 67 percent of global output, he however, noted that national demand is estimated at 120 million metric tonnes, leaving a supply gap of more than 50 million metric tonnes.
“Despite this impressive output, we still meet only part of our national demand. This gap shows the urgent need to modernise the yam value chain, increase productivity, and capture greater domestic and international market opportunities,” he said.
To address this, the ministry has rolled out a comprehensive national blueprint titled Ramp-Up of Staple Crop Production for Food Security, developed by a high-level technical team in March 2025. The framework classifies staple crops based on strategic importance, with yam designated as a tier-one priority crop.
“Yam is officially classified as tier one for national food security, confirming its central role in economic growth and food sovereignty,” Abdullahi said. “The vision is simple. Produce what we consume, and consume what we produce.”
The reform strategy rests on three pillars: expanding the total land area under yam cultivation, raising average yields from 10 metric tonnes per hectare to 30 metric tonnes per hectare, and reducing post-harvest losses from 40 percent to 25 percent.
“By achieving these targets, we aim to close the national demand gap, boost farmers’ income, and position Nigeria to capture a larger share of the global yam market,” he said.
In his remarks Abdoulaiye Tahirou, deputy director general, IITA said, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“IITA addresses the entire value chain. We create employment, improve livelihoods, reduce malnutrition, and preserve natural resources,” Tahirou said.
“Ninety percent of global yam production is in Africa, mostly in West Africa. If we do not defend and develop it, nobody else will.”
He said years of research had delivered improved varieties and new propagation technologies capable of transforming productivity. “Low multiplication rate has always been a major challenge. Leaf-bud cutting technology will change this system and rapidly increase access to quality planting material for farmers,” he said.
Lawrence Kent, senior programmes officer, Bill and Melinda Gates, said the new technology could double farmers’ yields.
“What this team has achieved is almost a miracle. By using tissue culture and leaf-bud cuttings, farmers can plant clean, disease-free seed yam and achieve yield increases of up to 106 percent,” he said. He added that yam is the most profitable crop analysed by the foundation.
“Yam is Nigeria. It is the most profitable crop, yet its full economic potential has not been exploited. This is a global opportunity,” Kent said.
The renewed push comes amid a major policy shift following the repeal of the Export Prohibition Act of 1989, signed into law earlier this month by Tinubu, effectively opening international markets to Nigerian yam exporters
Simon Itwange, national president, National Association of Yam Farmer Processors and Marketers, described the repeal as historic.
“This repeal ends a 35-year barrier. We have waited since 2017 for this moment. Now Nigerian yam can compete freely in the global market,” Itwange said.
“This law held back our exports for over 30 years. Its repeal now opens the door for large-scale international trade, private investment, and value addition,” Itwange said, pledging full cooperation from farmers and marketers to scale production and meet global quality standards.
Meanwhile, Chidozie Egesi, director general and chief executive officer, National Root Crops Research Institute , Umudike, described yam as both culturally sacred and economically transformative.
“We must move yam from culture to commerce, from tradition to industrial scale,” Egesi said, urging Nigeria to claim global leadership not only in production, but also in processing, exports, and innovation
Stakeholders at the summit agreed that coordinated policy support, private investment, improved seed systems, mechanisation, and sustained research funding are critical to transforming yam into a central pillar of Nigeria’s agricultural industrialisation drive.
On the policy front, Abdullahi said the summit marked formal recognition of yam as a strategic national economic crop.
“Yam is not just culturally symbolic. It is economically strategic, capable of driving food security, employment, income generation, and export growth,” he said.
He assured stakeholders of regulatory and institutional support to ensure that innovations move rapidly from laboratories to farmers’ fields.
“We recognise vast opportunities in yam processing, storage, innovation, and export development. By reducing post-harvest losses and standardising quality, Nigeria can become a major exporter of high-value yam products,” Abdullahi said.
