Nigeria leads West Africa in banana production, yet it struggles to expand its export market.
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that West Africa produced nearly 8.7 million tonnes of bananas in 2024, accounting for around 28% of Africa’s total output of about 31.3 million tonnes. Nigeria stands out as the region’s largest producer of dessert bananas.
From 2020 to 2024, Nigeria averaged an annual production of 6.69 million tonnes, but most of this is consumed domestically. Unlike other regional producers, Nigeria has not established a major export market, as its production is largely handled by smallholders rather than a few large-scale plantations. The FAO notes that around 500,000 hectares are dedicated to banana farming in the country.
Côte d’Ivoire ranks second in banana production, averaging 539,000 tonnes annually from 2020 to 2024, with dessert banana plantations covering approximately 12,178 hectares. It leads as Africa’s top banana exporter, largely due to the dominance of agribusiness firms like Compagnie Fruitière and its subsidiaries.
Mali comes third with an average annual production of 484,120 tonnes, also nearly all consumed domestically. The industry consists mainly of family farmers united under the Federation of Banana Producer Organizations, which supports them with resources and marketing.
Guinea follows in fourth place, producing around 230,000 tonnes annually, with most also consumed domestically. Family farms, particularly in the Kindia region, are the primary producers.
Ghana ranks fifth, averaging nearly 124,000 tonnes from 2020 to 2024. It is the second-largest banana exporter in West Africa after Côte d’Ivoire, integrating both smallholders and agribusiness companies like Golden Exotics Limited and Volta River Estates Limited in its industry.
