Snail Farming in Nigeria: 4 Facts You Should Know About

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snail farming in Nigeria

This article is about the facts of snail farming in Nigeria, if you are interested in a detailed guide on how to start snail farming in Nigeria, you should check out Snail Farming in Nigeria: How to Get Started.

Snail farming is one of the most sought-after type of farming in Nigeria alongside maize farming, poultry farming and fish farming. This is because it is not capital intensive, doesn’t require a large piece of land; just adequate knowledge and time. The rearing of snails for human consumption or economic use is called Heliculture.

Snail farming has also been found to be a profitable venture and a viable source of job opportunities for youths by the government. Recently, the Lagos State Government organised training for youths on snail farming. The Ekiti State Government also unveiled a snail farm worth 5 billion Naira in 2021, it is said to be the second-largest snail farm in the world, providing over 5,000 jobs.

Facts About Snail Farming in Nigeria

  1. It is a 12 Billion Dollars Industry
  2. Snail Species Reared Profitably in Nigeria
  3. Opportunities for Intending Snail Farmers
  4. Export Opportunities

It is a 12 Billion Dollars Industry

According to experts in the snail farming sector, the industry is worth $12,000,000,000 and has a consumption of about 450,000 tons annually. The annual demand for snails in Nigeria has been pegged to be at about 7.5 million kg per year and the price of a medium-sized snail is about ₦250 – ₦600 depending on the size.

Snail Species Reared Profitably in Nigeria

The most preferred snail species for rearing in Nigeria are the African Land Giant Snails. They are one of the largest snails in the world. The three species commonly reared are Achatina Fulica (also known as East African land snail), Achatina Achatina (also known as giant Ghana snail or Giant tiger snail) and Archachatina Marginata (the giant West African snail).

The most desired for snail farmers in Nigeria is the Achatina Achatina, which is considered the biggest snail species in the world. It can lay up to 1,200 eggs in a year.

africa land giant snail - snail farming in Nigeria

Opportunities for Intending Snail Farmers

Despite snail farming being lucrative, the sector is still unable to meet the demand for snail meat most especially during the dry season. During the rainy season, there are more handpicked snails from the forests available in the market because of the favourable weather, which makes snails come out of hiding.

The supply of snails to the market during the dry season is solely dependent on snail farmers, making snails scarce and more expensive. There have been calls by snail farmers for more youths to join snail farming in Nigeria.

Export Opportunities

There are high demands for African Land Giant Snails meat internationally, especially from African restaurants and shops based abroad. Aside from the meat, snails are also very popular ingredients for beauty and pharmaceutical products, there is a huge demand for the serum from snails. There is a wide range of beauty and cosmetic products purely made from snail extracts.

7 thoughts on “Snail Farming in Nigeria: 4 Facts You Should Know About”

  1. Isaiah

    Good afternoon sir/madam I have a small farm of snail in my house if it is up to maturity how do I sale it.

    Reply

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From working as a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, where he taught Economics, he joined the banking industry in 1985, and by January 2009 had risen to General Manager and Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Nigeria’s oldest and biggest bank. Mallam Sanusi has been conferred with a National Award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has also been awarded the “Global Central Bank Governor for 2010” by The Banker Magazine, a publication of the Financial Times.
 
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Before joining Babban Gona, Lola was the Director for Trust and Safety at OLX Group, working across 30+ OLX markets to ensure that buyers and sellers can transact safely and securely on the platform. Prior to her global role at OLX, Lola was the Country Manager for OLX in Nigeria where she was responsible for driving all elements of the business including Business Development, Product Localization, Marketing and other relevant functions. OLX Group is one of the world’s leading online classifieds players. Through its brands including OLX, Avito, dubizzle and letgo, OLX Group is the home of online classifieds in high-growth markets.

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 Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he raised US$24 Million to develop an integrated agricultural trading, production and processing business.

Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.

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In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Kola Masha

 

Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he raised US$24 Million to develop an integrated agricultural trading, production and processing business.

Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.

He led the effort to raise $130 million in equity and the restructuring of $360 Million in debt. Kola brings significant leadership experience in venture capital, corporate finance, business development, marketing and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed. In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.

In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.