Coconut Waste to Inputs & Valuable Products -Domestic Capacity & Opportunities Creation

Описание: The coconut fruit has a huge value chain from inputs to end products.

Nigeria is the globe’s 19th largest coconut producer with 270,000 metric tonnes and was expected to reach 500,000 MT at the close of 2025.

However, it is reported that 40% of the nation’s harvested coconuts are wasted and those used have 47% of their shells discarded/burnt and which constitute environmental pollution.

Coconut shells are used to produce inputs -fertilizer, pesticide, husk, coir, peat, pot, etc. -for farming.

For instance coco peat, an excellent medium for starting and/or growing crops and especially in soilless/hydroponics farming and in challenging terrains, able to hold and release water as required, rich in nutrients to support plant life, and possesses antimicrobial, good aeration and drainage properties.

The Nigerian coco peat market is worth $4.67 million. The global coco peat market is valued at $4.09 billion and is projected to reach $16.8 billion by 2034.

A growing need to efficiently, innovatively, and sustainably farm is driving the Nigerian demand and one that could expand further to share more of the global coco peat market, and Nigeria exporting coco peats.

However, as is seen with the coconut husk wastes, Nigeria imports bulk of her coco peats and other coconut derivatives, spending over $21 million annually.

Wastes, declining coconut trees, undeveloped value chain and market, poor infrastructure and processing facilities, and a lack of adequate policy and financial support, constitute challenges.

Consequently, while Nigeria is one of the world’s leading coconut producers, this only earns her 0.42% of global volume and 0.11% of global coco peat market.

Audacious entrepreneurs like Jacob Oluwayanmife Abiodun is one the forward-thinking solution drivers helping to halt this trend of resource and opportunity wastage, improve local capacity, and bridge the supply-demand gap, by creating value-added coconut products mobilizing capital and locally creating/adapting tools, and to sustain primary production, exploit and expand derivatives productively for higher rewards, sustainably and with upcycling.

Jacob Abiodun (‪@jacobyanmife6025‬) founded Coconoto, a climate smart Agritech company focused on transforming the Nigeria and Africa coconut value chain. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the federal university of Technology Akure, he started his innovative research on building a coconut dehusking machine.

Currently, Jacob has developed more innovative solutions that not only address the crude means of dehusking and Deshelling coconut but has also built a Cococycle hub housing several machines that convert the waste of coconut husk into Cocopeat, Cocofibre and soon cocopot, thereby promoting sustainable Agriculture within Nigeria.

Tune in here on Saturday January 17, 2026 by 4:30 pm WAT as we have extensive discussion with Jacob about his journey, the coconut value chain, the development and opportunities, and the path to boosting local capacity and production to satisfy domestic need and service export market.