As the prices of several staple foods begin to ease across Nigerian markets, ginger is proving to be the stubborn exception. While grains and other food crops have seen noticeable declines in recent months, the popular spice has remained firmly expensive, stretching household budgets and forcing many consumers to reconsider how often they use it.
Nigeria is one of the world’s leading producers of ginger, ranking second globally with annual output estimated between 500,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes, according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Much of this production comes from smallholder farmers, particularly in Kaduna State, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the country’s ginger output. Other producing areas include Nasarawa, Niger, Gombe, Bauchi and the Federal Capital Territory.
But the industry has struggled to recover after a devastating blight outbreak that hit farms in 2023 and 2024. The disease wiped out more than 2,500 hectares of ginger farms in seven local government areas in southern Kaduna, with losses estimated at about N12 billion.
The damage significantly reduced output. Emmanuel Gabriel, a ginger farmer from Kuturmirimi community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, told Daily Trust his harvest collapsed after the pest attacks. Where he once harvested about 600 bags of ginger, he now manages barely 20 bags.
The sharp drop in supply has kept prices elevated even as other food items begin to moderate. Across major markets in northern Nigeria, a bag of dried ginger that previously sold for around N180,000 now costs between N600,000 and N610,000. At the retail level, the difference is just as striking. A mudu measure that sold for about N2,700 three years ago now sells for as much as N28,000.
Market traders who spoke to Daily Trust say the pressure on prices is coming from both limited supply and strong international demand for Nigerian ginger.
Isah Garba, a ginger farmer and trader at the Yankaba spice market in Kano, said the pest outbreak severely disrupted production, and farmers are still trying to recover. “Farmers faced serious pest attacks in the last three to four years and they are yet to fully recover,” he said. “Availability dropped sharply because yields were badly affected.”
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At the same time, exports have been rising. Nigerian ginger is valued globally for its strong flavour and high oleoresin content, attracting buyers from countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and China, according to the Nigeria Export Academy.
Hamisu Inuwa, a long-time ginger merchant, said demand from Europe and Asia has particularly intensified, with the Netherlands emerging as one of the biggest importers of Nigerian ginger.
For traders who have spent decades in the spice business, the current price levels are unprecedented. Bello Guri, who has been trading ginger for more than 30 years, said the commodity has never reached such prices in recent memory.
He said rising global demand and growing awareness of ginger’s medicinal value have combined to push prices higher, turning the once-common spice into a high-value crop.
The impact is already being felt by consumers and small food businesses. Many households say ginger is gradually becoming optional in their kitchens.
Fatima Abubakar, a consumer, said even small quantities now come at a steep price. “If you ask for N500 ginger, you will be surprised at how little you get,” she said. “I used to add it to kunu, but I had to stop because it is too expensive.”
Food vendors are also adjusting their recipes. Ijeoma Ifeanyi, who runs a small food business, said N1,000 now buys only a few slices of dried ginger. “Ginger has no alternative. It is either you use it or you forget about it,” she said.
Juice producers are also scaling back. Janet Offor, who sells fresh juices at Dutse market, said she has stopped making ginger juice altogether because customers complain about the price.
“When you tell people the price they don’t believe how expensive ginger has become,” she said. “Now I only add a small blend of ginger to other juices.”
The federal government says it is working to revive production. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari last year set up a Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Task Force to tackle the disease affecting farms.
The National Agricultural Development Fund has also launched a N1.6 billion intervention programme under the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE) initiative. The programme aims to support about 5,000 farmers in key producing states including Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory with inputs to help restore production.
Until those efforts begin to lift output, however, it may continue to defy the broader food price relief many Nigerians are starting to see in the market.
