Maize production in Nigeria
Nigeria: Maize production was 9.18 million metric tons in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Maize production in Nigeria, 1961–2011
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site. Measured in metric tons.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maize production in Nigeria is 9.18 million metric tons, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 19.6% on the previous year and up 99.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maize production in Nigeria peaked at 9.18 million metric tons in 2011 and was at its lowest, 488,000 metric tons, in 1979.
That places Nigeria 2nd out of 49 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Maize production in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.11 million metric tons | — |
| 1962 | 991,000 metric tons | -10.5% |
| 1963 | 1.17 million metric tons | +17.8% |
| 1964 | 1.12 million metric tons | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 1.16 million metric tons | +3.8% |
| 1966 | 975,000 metric tons | -15.9% |
| 1967 | 950,000 metric tons | -2.6% |
| 1968 | 1.13 million metric tons | +18.5% |
| 1969 | 1.25 million metric tons | +11.5% |
| 1970 | 1.44 million metric tons | +15.0% |
| 1971 | 1.27 million metric tons | -11.7% |
| 1972 | 639,000 metric tons | -49.8% |
| 1973 | 808,000 metric tons | +26.4% |
| 1974 | 528,000 metric tons | -34.7% |
| 1975 | 1.33 million metric tons | +152.3% |
| 1976 | 1.07 million metric tons | -19.8% |
| 1977 | 650,000 metric tons | -39.1% |
| 1978 | 658,000 metric tons | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 488,000 metric tons | -25.8% |
| 1980 | 612,000 metric tons | +25.4% |
| 1981 | 720,000 metric tons | +17.6% |
| 1982 | 766,000 metric tons | +6.4% |
| 1983 | 1.03 million metric tons | +34.1% |
| 1984 | 1.20 million metric tons | +16.5% |
| 1985 | 1.83 million metric tons | +52.7% |
| 1986 | 3.55 million metric tons | +94.4% |
| 1987 | 4.61 million metric tons | +29.9% |
| 1988 | 5.27 million metric tons | +14.2% |
| 1989 | 5.01 million metric tons | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 5.77 million metric tons | +15.2% |
| 1991 | 5.81 million metric tons | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 5.84 million metric tons | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 6.29 million metric tons | +7.7% |
| 1994 | 6.90 million metric tons | +9.7% |
| 1995 | 6.93 million metric tons | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 5.67 million metric tons | -18.2% |
| 1997 | 5.25 million metric tons | -7.3% |
| 1998 | 5.13 million metric tons | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 5.48 million metric tons | +6.8% |
| 2000 | 4.11 million metric tons | -25.0% |
| 2001 | 4.60 million metric tons | +11.9% |
| 2002 | 4.89 million metric tons | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 5.20 million metric tons | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 5.57 million metric tons | +7.0% |
| 2005 | 5.96 million metric tons | +7.0% |
| 2006 | 7.10 million metric tons | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 6.72 million metric tons | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 7.53 million metric tons | +11.9% |
| 2009 | 7.36 million metric tons | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 7.68 million metric tons | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 9.18 million metric tons | +19.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 9.18 million metric tons is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 621,790 metric tons, 14.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 9.18 million metric tons is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 326,794 metric tons, 28.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Maize production in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +152.3% | 528,000 metric tons | 1.33 million metric tons |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.09 million metric tons | 950,000 metric tons | 1.25 million metric tons | 9 |
| 1970s | 888,800 metric tons | 488,000 metric tons | 1.44 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.46 million metric tons | 612,000 metric tons | 5.27 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.91 million metric tons | 5.13 million metric tons | 6.93 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.90 million metric tons | 4.11 million metric tons | 7.53 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.43 million metric tons | 7.68 million metric tons | 9.18 million metric tons | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maize production in Nigeria?
- Maize production in Nigeria was 9.18 million metric tons in 2011, according to Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site.
- What is the highest maize production recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 9.18 million metric tons in 2011.
- What is the lowest maize production recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 488,000 metric tons in 1979.
- How does Nigeria rank for maize production?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 49 countries with data for 2011.
- Is maize production rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 99.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization, electronic files and web site, published as part of Maize production (metric tons). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Production data on maize relate to crop harvested for dry grain only. Crop harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed, or silage and those used for grazing are excluded.