Nigeria's Ginger Crisis: A Synopsis
In recent months, Nigerians have taken to social media to complain that ginger no longer tastes the way it used to. Some say it has lost its sharp taste and pungent aroma. Others describe it as big, smooth, and bland. Some even link the changes to imported or genetically modified crops. The debate has pulled in garlic and turmeric too, with claims that these spices which once restored health with every meal no longer have any medicinal effect.
Behind these culinary concerns lies a harsh reality on the farms. Nigeria, once the world’s second-largest producer of ginger, has been devastated by a fungal outbreak called ginger blight. The disease attacks the plant’s underground rhizome and causes the plant above to wither. It has impacted Kaduna and several other growing states.
There were signs. The AFEX 2024 Wet Season Crop Production Report had already flagged the scale of the problem and its likely fallout. They reported that over 30,000 hectares of ginger farmland were infected in 2023. Output collapsed by 92 percent, falling from 845,000 tonnes in 2022 to just 68,000 tonnes. Prices surged by 4.7x, averaging ₦3.9 million per metric ton and peaking at ₦6.2 million. The report warned that without urgent intervention, production might take up to five years to return to pre-crisis levels.
Nigeria's Ginger Production: 2013 - 2023
Nigeria has remained a dominant ginger producer over the past decade, usually ranking second in the world behind India. In 2013 it produced nearly 497,000 tonnes, placing it ahead of China and confirming its role as a global leader.
The country lost ground in 2014 when output dropped to 168,000 tonnes and Nigeria slipped to fifth place. This was the only period in the decade when it fell out of the top three. By 2016 production had rebounded to more than 770,000 tonnes, restoring Nigeria to second place behind India. Interestingly, the country did not export at all in this year, showing that domestic demand could fully absorb production.
From 2016 through 2023, Nigeria held second place consistently. Output ranged between 678,000 and 747,000 tonnes, often surpassing China and consolidating its importance in global supply. The peak came in 2023 with 782,000 tonnes, Nigeria’s highest output in the period, though India’s 2.2 million tonnes kept the gap wide.
The trend shows Nigeria’s volatility but also resilience. While India has expanded steadily and China has grown more gradually, Nigeria has swung between sharp declines and strong rebounds.
Nigeria Ginger Export
Over the past decade, Nigeria’s ginger export performance has been unstable compared with global leaders such as China, India, the Netherlands, and Thailand. Its presence among the top exporters has been inconsistent between 2013 and 2023.Moving forward
In 2013, Nigeria exported approximately 43,600 tonnes worth $94.2 million, ranking second globally behind China. At $2.16 per kilogram, Nigeria commanded one of the highest unit prices, higher than China’s $1.05/kg. By 2015, exports collapsed to just 712 tonnes, earning $2.1 million, despite the unit price peaking at $2.96/kg compared with China’s $1.06/kg. This suggests a premium for Nigerian ginger despite the export shortage. In 2016, Nigeria did not export ginger. During this period, China exported 198,800 tonnes at $1.86/kg and the Netherlands 43,300 tonnes at $1.60/kg, showing steady supply and competitive pricing.
Recovery began slowly in 2017, with exports at only 26 tonnes at $1.72/kg. Modest gains followed through 2018–2020, reaching 7,700 tonnes in 2020 at $1.41/kg, still below China’s 511,100 tonnes at $1.41/kg and the Netherlands 59,300 tonnes at $2.61/kg. This shows Nigeria recovering volume but struggling to regain premium pricing.
The most notable turnaround occurred in 2022–2023. Exports rose to 75,900 tonnes in 2022 and 85,900 tonnes in 2023. However, unit prices fell to $0.54–$0.55/kg, far below China at $0.84–$2.00/kg and the Netherlands at $1.82–$3.61/kg. Nigeria’s ginger is back in the global top ten, but the sharp price discount indicates a commodity-level positioning rather than premium value capture.
Nigeria’s export share was relatively high in 2013 (8.8%) but collapsed to near zero between 2015 and 2021. It rebounded sharply from 2022, surpassing 11% in 2023. China, meanwhile, held dominant shares throughout, though its share fell from over 90% in 2017 to 42% in 2023.
Export Share of Ginger Market by Nigeria and China (2013-2023)
Price competitiveness has also been a key factor. In recent years, Nigerian ginger fluctuated, suggesting possible quality perception issues, weaker branding, or supply chain inefficiencies that limit realized value.
The Science
The science behind ginger blight is sobering. Fungi thrive in poorly drained soils and during prolonged wet conditions. Once the rhizome is infected, rot spreads quickly, and there is no cure for the plants.
One fear now spreading across the country is that soils infested with Proxipyricularia zingiberis will be permanently condemned. The fungus does survive in soil and crop debris, which makes repeated ginger cultivation risky. But international case studies show that while the pathogen is persistent, affected soils are not beyond recovery if science-based interventions are applied.
Vietnam’s first identification of P. zingiberis shows how devastating the pathogen can be. Farms there recorded crop losses of up to 70 percent, and the fungus was confirmed to attack rhizomes, stems, and leaves alike. The key lesson was that without accurate and early diagnostics, interventions may fail or be misdirected. This highlights the necessity for molecular tools and rigorous seed rhizome screening in Nigeria before another planting cycle.
Germany’s experience points to another angle. Pathogen emergence often follows crop expansion into new agro-ecologies, due to latent infections in planting material. For Nigeria, this strengthens the danger of unchecked rhizome movement between states. Quarantine and surveillance are as critical as soil treatment.
Lastly, Japan’s battle with bacterial wilt demonstrates that soil-borne diseases can be managed. Farmers applied anaerobic soil disinfestation and solarization to suppress pathogens and restore production. Economic analysis confirmed that these measures, though costly upfront, could return profitability to affected farms.
For Nigeria, the takeaway is clear. Ginger soils are not condemned, but recovery depends on timely diagnostics, strict rhizome protocols, and adaptive soil management.
The Market
The change in ginger quality seen in Nigerian markets is a direct result of the crisis, and not due to some conspiracies about genetic modification. Imports have been brought in to fill shortages. These often look bigger and smoother but are less pungent. The difference comes from variety, soil, and handling. Nigerian landraces are naturally richer in aromatic compounds and oils. Imported ginger loses aroma during extended storage and shipping. Mechanical cleaning further strips away oil-rich skin layers. What has changed is not essentially genetics but origin and quality.
Policy and Recovery
The government has launched a recovery plan called the Ginger Recovery Advancement and Transformation for Economic Empowerment (GRATE). About ₦1.6 billion has been earmarked to support 15,000 farmers across Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, and the FCT. Beneficiaries are receiving improved seeds, fertilizers, fungicides, and other inputs. The goal is to revive production and sustain Nigeria’s role in the export market, which earned ₦10 billion in the second quarter of 2023, up from ₦4.6 billion the year before.
Farmers have argued the intervention is too small. With roughly 106,000 naira per farmer, the GRATE intervention risks being ineffective.
Recovery will require more than subsidies. Beyond GRATE, Nigeria’s recovery plan must be rooted in science. Researchers have shown that soil infestation by Proxipyricularia zingiberis makes reinfection highly likely, especially when drainage is poor and resistant planting materials are unavailable. This means farmers cannot simply return to their fields to replant. Tackling the root problem will require government-backed funding to accelerate the development and multiplication of disease-resistant seed varieties, alongside investment in drainage systems across major producing states. Training programs must also emphasize preventive agronomic practices, crop rotation, sanitation, and early disease detection so farmers can adapt appropriately.
For investors, this disruption presents an unusual opportunity. While short-term returns may look uncertain, diversifying production into less-affected regions, backing disease monitoring systems, and supporting seed production facilities can generate long-term stability. Such moves not only hedge against future outbreaks but also position Nigeria to rebuild credibility in the global market.
If the government, researchers, and the private sector move in tandem, the ginger industry can recover its strength. Without integrated efforts that address the biological and structural causes of the collapse, subsidies alone will not prevent history from repeating itself.
Reference
Horita, M., Kobara, Y., Yano, K., Hayashi, K., Nakamura, Y., Iiyama, K., & Oki, T. (2023). Comprehensive Control System for Ginger Bacterial Wilt Disease Based on Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation. Agronomy, 13(7), 1791. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071791
Nguyen, D. T., Hieu, N. C., Linh, D. T. P., Thao, H. T. B., Oanh, L. T. K., Xuyen, L. T., … Hoat, T. X. (2022). Molecular characterisation of Proxipyricularia zingiberis causing blast disease of ginger in Vietnam. Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 55(3), 373–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/03235408.2021.2023384
Schrader, G., König, S., Fornefeld, E. et al. New crops: new pests and pathogens—emerging diseases due to intensification of cultivation using the case of hemp, quinoa, and ginger in Germany. J Plant Dis Prot 132, 110 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-025-01104-2
