A recent pilot programme to grow barley in Nigeria’s north yielded positive results, proved that it can be cultivated commercially in the country, and identified more than 400,000 hectares of land suitable for barley cultivation.
This was disclosed by the country’s largest manufacturer of beverages, Nigerian Breweries Plc, during its Maltina Barley Field Day programme held Friday 6 March 2026 at Ringim in Jigawa State.
According to the company, more than 1,000 smallholder farmers grew barley under its Maltina Barley Programme during this season and produced a yield of a little more than 1,000 metric tons.
Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Thibaut Boidin, said the company’s ambition is to develop a barley value chain firmly rooted in Nigeria and aiming to support about 20,000 farmers by year 2030.
Boidin pointed out that Jigawa State showed promising potential for barley cultivation, with encouraging results also recorded in Bauchi, Plateau, Kano and Yobe states.
Research conducted in cooperation with the Lake Chad Research Institute and Secobra Research, led to the registration of 3 high-yield barley varieties named Traveler, Explorer, and Prunella, in year 2024.
Currently, Nigeria’s brewing companies import about 200,000 tons malted barley yearly, which translates to more than $150 million forex loss every year.
The Federal Government of Nigeria recently approved tax incentives for manufacturers that use local raw materials, inclusive of provisions for reduction in corporate tax for companies that deepen use of domestic inputs.
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