Nigeria remains West Africa’s largest sorghum producer, with its output significantly exceeding that of Mali, Ghana and Benin Republic, as demand from the brewing, milling and animal feed industries creates opportunities for farmers.
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ FAOSTAT database show that Nigeria harvested approximately 6.5 million metric tonnes of sorghum in 2024. Mali recorded production of about 1.641 million tonnes, while Ghana and Benin Republic produced 479,000 tonnes and 279,000 tonnes, respectively. The figures place Nigeria ahead of the three countries in the production of the drought-tolerant cereal.
Nigeria’s 2024 sorghum output was approximately four times Mali’s production, 13.6 times Ghana’s and 23.3 times Benin Republic’s, highlighting the country’s leading position in regional supply. These comparisons are based on national production figures for 2024 derived from the FAOSTAT database. In a separate projection, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) office in Lagos estimated Nigeria’s sorghum production at 7.3 million metric tonnes for the 2025/26 marketing year. The forecast, published in the agency’s Nigeria: Grain and Feed Annual report on March 19, 2025, represented an increase of approximately six per cent over the 6.9 million tonnes estimated for 2024/25.
However, a separate USDA-FAS international production series estimated Nigeria’s sorghum output at approximately 6.5 million tonnes for the 2025/26 marketing year. The difference between the two estimates highlights variations in the available production figures and the importance of considering reporting dates and methodologies when comparing agricultural forecasts.
The international production series also estimated Mali’s sorghum output at approximately 1.5 million tonnes for 2025/26, maintaining a substantial gap between the two countries’ production levels.
USDA-FAS projected Nigeria’s total sorghum consumption at 7.2 million metric tonnes (MMT) for the 2025/26 marketing year, compared with an estimated 6.85 MMT in the previous marketing year.
The agency attributed the projected increase to the growing use of sorghum as a substitute for maize in animal feed production and its demand among beverage, cereal and confectionery manufacturers. According to the report, feed millers have continued to experiment with sorghum in feed formulations despite a recent decline in domestic maize prices.
With projected consumption of 7.2 MMT and production estimated at 7.3 MMT, the USDA-FAS Lagos figures indicate a narrow difference between Nigeria’s expected sorghum output and domestic demand.
A report by the South African Grain and Livestock Agricultural (SAGL), drawing on the USDA-FAS Grain: World Markets and Trade database released in April 2026, estimated Nigeria’s sorghum production at 6.5 MMT for 2025/26. The report also put Burkina Faso’s output at 1.9 MMT, Niger’s at approximately 1.91 MMT and Mali’s at 1.5 MMT.
The SAGL report estimated Nigeria’s sorghum production at 6.402 MMT in 2023/24 and 6.417 MMT in 2024/25. These figures broadly correspond with the earlier production estimates contained in the USDA-FAS Lagos report.
Figures from the USDA-FAS global database also rank Nigeria among the leading sorghum-producing countries, alongside the United States and Brazil.
Data published in April 2026 put US sorghum production at approximately 11.1 MMT, compared with Nigeria’s estimated 6.5 MMT. These figures are contained in the USDA-FAS global sorghum production data.
Sorghum is used beyond household food consumption, serving as a raw material for porridges, flour-based foods and locally brewed beverages. Its ability to grow under relatively dry conditions also makes the cereal important to farmers in areas where rainfall is limited or unreliable.
