A humble tuber long enjoyed as a local snack and drink is finding a global audience. Tiger nuts, the edible tubers behind the popular Nigerian drink kunun aya, are traded internationally as a dried raw material for snacks and for processing into plant-based beverages, flour, oil and starch, according to market data compiled by Tridge. Demand is being lifted by the crop's positioning as a functional food and by the wider plant-based beverage trend.
A Big Grower, a Small Earner
Nigeria is among the leading producers, with cultivation prominent across the country's northern belt, yet much of the crop still leaves as raw material rather than finished product. A study of tiger nut production in Katsina State found the enterprise profitable for farmers, with healthy gross margins and net incomes, according to research indexed by Academia. The gap between farm-gate profitability and the higher value of processed tiger nut milk, flour and oil is exactly where the opportunity sits.
Where the Value Could Grow
Processing is the missing link. Turning tiger nuts into shelf-stable milk, flour, oil and snacks would let Nigeria capture more of the margin that currently accrues to buyers abroad, particularly in Europe where tiger nut beverages are well established, as the market overview from Tridge notes. Export promoters have repeatedly listed tiger nut among the country's rising non-oil agricultural exports, alongside sesame, ginger and cashew, according to an export guide to Nigerian commodities.
A crop that earns more per kilogram supports rural incomes and a healthier trade balance. FoodPrices Nigeria tracks verified retail prices across Lagos markets and follows the commodities and value chains that shape the wider food economy.