Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc., Nigeria’s largest brewer, is actively testing local barley production to slash its $150 million annual import bill on 200,000 tons of malted barley. This breakthrough was showcased recently at the 2026 Maltina Barley Field Day in Ringim, Jigawa State, where over 1,000 smallholder farmers achieved yields exceeding 1,000 tons using climate-adapted varieties.
Speaking on this, NB’s Managing Director/CEO Thibaut Boidin declared, “Our ambition is clear: to develop a barley value chain that is rooted in Nigerian soil, powered by Nigerian farmers, and capable of meeting the quality standards required by industry.” Years of research and development with Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) and Secobra Research yielded three registered high-yield varieties in 2024: Traveler, Explorer, and Prunella. Farmers received seeds, fertilizers, and mechanization via partners like OCP Africa and Hello Tractor, with off-taker guarantees ensuring market access.
A study identified 400,000 hectares of suitable farmland across Jigawa, Bauchi, Kano, Plateau, and Yobe. NBC targets 20,000 farmers by 2030, backed by £330,000 from UK’s Propcom+ for 2026. Supply Chain Director Federico Agressi emphasized: “Building a sustainable commercial barley value chain will require hard work and persistence,” urging investments in irrigation, mechanization, and policy support amid foreign exchange pressures.
This initiative promises self-sufficiency, farmer empowerment, and economic retention of import dollars, validating Nigeria’s barley potential after sorghum successes.
