Onome Amuge
Amid the temperate highlands of Plateau and Kaduna, a small group of pioneering farmers are venturing into saffron cultivation, a spice globally prized as “red gold.” Still in its experimental phase, their initiative points to the immense potential Nigeria holds in the world’s most expensive spice market, where saffron sells for as much as $5,000 per kilogramme. If scaled successfully, the crop could unlock a new frontier in Nigeria’s quest for agricultural diversification and export growth.
Yet, unlike Morocco, which has carved a niche as Africa’s saffron capital, Nigeria’s journey toward the spice economy is still in its infancy. Analysts and stakeholders now argue that the real opportunity lies not just in growing saffron, but in building a homegrown value chain around it; one that connects cultivation, processing, quality control, and export branding under a unified national strategy.
For Nigeria to become a prominent global market player, analysts contend that the saffron story is not simply about joining a booming market; it’s about rethinking how agricultural wealth is created. Saffron’s economic model rewards countries that move beyond production into quality certification, branding, and export logistics. This is where Morocco has succeeded and where Nigeria must learn to compete, they noted.
Morocco’s “Green Morocco Plan,” launched in 2010, identified saffron as a priority export crop. Through coordinated investments in irrigation, farmer training, and quality assurance, the North African nation transformed a traditional crop into a global brand. Today, Taliouine Saffron carries a protected geographical indication (PGI) status, enabling farmers to command premium prices and guaranteed authenticity in international markets.
Nigeria, by contrast, remains largely import-dependent for saffron, despite possessing suitable highland zones and climatic conditions for cultivation. “We don’t have a national strategy for saffron, and that’s where the conversation should begin. Without coordinated policy support, what we see now are scattered individual efforts — promising, but not scalable,” says Abubakar Gani, agribusiness analyst at Morganable Consulting.
The untapped red gold economy
Globally, saffron is a $1.42 billion market expected to reach $2 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4 per cent, according to Mordor Intelligence. Iran dominates with roughly 90 per cent of global supply, followed by India and Morocco. Nigeria, despite similar agroecological advantages, is yet to register on the map.
This gap reflects both risk and opportunity. “Nigeria’s agriculture has long been limited to volume crops — cocoa, sesame, sorghum, cashew. Saffron offers a high-value alternative that can transform rural incomes, especially for farmers in the highlands who already deal with cool, temperate conditions,” notes Christian Anyaoha of the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan.
Anyaoha points out that one hectare of saffron can yield 3.5 to 4 kilogrammes of dried spice per season, valued at up to N20 million at current international prices. The crop regenerates naturally from its corms, ensuring productivity for up to six years, which makes it a long-term investment compared to annual staples like maize or tomato.
Nigeria’s competitive edge
Though not widely recognized, Nigeria’s highlands, particularly in Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba, and Cross River States, possess the ideal altitude and soil drainage required for saffron cultivation. “We are currently testing imported Spanish corms in Plateau State, and so far, the results are encouraging. The challenge is scaling it up and getting the technical support to process it properly,” says Samuel Deshi, chief executive of Ritdung Integrated Farms.
Deshi’s experience underscores the fact that Nigeria has both the land and the labour, but not the institutional backbone. A saffron-based value chain could address this, attracting agritech investment, mechanization, and export infrastructure.
Why Morocco’s model matters
A comparison with Morocco reveals why policy direction matters. Before 2010, Morocco’s saffron sector was fragmented and informal, limited to family farms in the Atlas Mountains. The government’s Green Morocco Plan changed that dynamic by designating saffron as a national export brand. Cooperative networks were established, new drying and packaging centers were built, and farmers were linked directly to exporters.
Within five years, production grew by 50 per cent, and export revenues increased. Today, Morocco produces about seven tonnes of saffron annually, worth between $24 million and $35 million, with more than 90 per cent sold abroad.
“What Morocco did was integrate saffron into its agricultural modernization agenda. Nigeria can replicate this by aligning saffron with its own diversification policies — such as the National Agribusiness Investment Plan and the non-oil export drive led by NEPC,” says Agbaji Chinedu, director of administration at the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Nigeria’s potential saffron output would find ready markets across Europe, the Middle East, and North America, where demand continues to rise for natural coloring and flavoring agents. Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and India serve as major re-export hubs, meaning that even partial entry into this supply chain could generate millions in annual export earnings.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has long championed non-oil export diversification through programs like “One State, One Product.” Industry observers now suggest saffron could become the flagship product for northern highland states under this initiative. “The export window is wide open — all Nigeria needs is coordination. The global saffron supply is highly concentrated, and buyers are seeking reliable new sources. Nigeria has the potential to fill that gap,” says Stan Edom, CEO of Globexia, a Lagos-based export trading firm.
Addressing the knowledge gap
Despite its promise, the saffron sector faces fundamental hurdles, most notably, awareness. “Many farmers think saffron is an Iranian or Indian crop, not realising that our highlands can support it. We need targeted training, seed import facilitation, and R&D partnerships with universities to localize the crop,” Abubakar Gani explains.
Institutes such as NIHORT and Ahmadu Bello University, he averred, could play critical roles in developing region-specific cultivation manuals and conducting soil suitability studies. He added that ppublic–private partnerships could bridge the gap between research and commercialization.
The economics of labour and infrastructure
Saffron’s profitability comes with heavy labour costs. Harvesting one kilogramme requires about 150,000 flowers, and one hectare demands roughly 54 workers contributing over 50 hours each. This intensity, however, could be an opportunity rather than a constraint.
“In a country with high rural unemployment, saffron’s labor intensity is actually a plus.Each hectare can create dozens of seasonal jobs, especially for women and youth,” argues Anyaoha. He noted further that farm cooperatives could aggregate production and access mechanised drying or packaging facilities, ensuring economies of scale.
Still, infrastructure remains a concern. The absence of cold-chain systems, standardised drying facilities, and logistics networks limits Nigeria’s competitiveness in high-value perishables. Industry experts argue that integrating saffron into the country’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) could solve this. Such zones, already under development by the African Development Bank and Nigeria’s federal government, provide shared infrastructure for processing and export.
Beyond economics, saffron’s appeal also lies in sustainability. The crop requires minimal water compared to staples like rice or sugarcane and can thrive in semi-arid soils. This makes it a strategic fit for northern Nigeria, where desertification threatens traditional farming.
“Climate-smart agriculture isn’t just about carbon credits; it’s about choosing the right crops for the right environment,” says environmental economist Hauwa Abdulahi.
In addition, saffron’s use in natural cosmetics and nutraceuticals aligns with the global shift toward green consumerism. By developing saffron-based products including teas, essential oils, skincare formulations, Nigerian entrepreneurs could move up the value ladder, retaining more of the export revenue domestically.
The regional opportunity: ECOWAS integration
Positioning Nigeria as West Africa’s saffron hub could also unlock regional trade potential. The ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) provides duty-free access to markets in 14 neighboring countries. A Nigeria-led saffron industry could serve not only the domestic market but also supply processed saffron to coastal nations like Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, where the spice’s culinary and cosmetic demand is growing.
Such integration would mirror Morocco’s role in North Africa, where it supplies saffron and derivative products across the Maghreb and into Europe. “Nigeria can become the Morocco of West Africa in saffron. But it will take deliberate policy alignment, infrastructure investment, and export discipline,” says Edom.
Investing in Nigeria’s saffron future
According to experts, the entry points are diverse for private investors in the saffron industry. They include:
- Seedling importation and multiplication: Establishing certified corm nurseries for local farmers.
- Processing and packaging: Setting up solar-powered drying units, quality control labs, and branding facilities.
- Export logistics: Leveraging air cargo corridors for perishable goods to Europe and the Middle East.
- R&D partnerships: Funding climate adaptation studies and post-harvest innovation through agricultural institutes.
Financial institutions could also play a role through agricultural credit guarantees and insurance schemes to de-risk saffron ventures. Development partners like the FAO and IFAD might support pilot clusters in Plateau and Taraba as proof-of-concept for national scaling.
The long-term viability of saffron farming in Nigeria hinges on regulation, quality assurance, and farmer incentives. Experts advocate for a dedicated Saffron Development Council, modeled after the Cocoa Research Institute, to coordinate training, standardization, and export promotion.
“Without policy structure, saffron will remain a boutique experiment,” warns Chinedu of AFAN.
From Abuja to Jos, the conversation around saffron is slowly gathering momentum. What was once a foreign luxury spice could soon become Nigeria’s next agricultural success story, if the right systems fall into place, experts agree.
