Spread the word The Nigeria Breweries Plc has said that Nigeria can attain self-sufficiency in barley supply through local production, stressing that the country needs the collaboration of relevant stakeholders to embark on the journey. The company made the remarks during the 2026 Barley Field Day, which was held in Ringim, Jigawa State, weekend, while presenting the agronomic proof of concept for domestic barley production for farmers. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, of NB Plc, Thibaut Boidin, stressed that successful cultivation of the crop on Nigerian soil marks the country’s journey to self-sufficiency. He stated: “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.” He noted that despite that loft ambition the realistic position is that the target cannot be achieved by the private sector alone, remarking that “strong, consistent, and collaborative support from government and key partners is essential to long term success.” According to Boidin, “the journey to building a self-sufficient local supply chain is just beginning, and scaling it to commercial viability is strictly conditioned on significant government and ecosystem intervention. “Currently, Nigeria’s brewing sector relies on importing approximately 200,000 tons of malted barley annually, a dependency that directs over $150 million outside the local economy. Through the Maltina Barley Programme, over 1,000 small-holder farmers cultivated the crop this season, with an expected yield of more than 1,000 tons,” he stated. He noted that while the yield profile proves the potential of the land and the resilience of the farmers, it remains a fraction of national demand, noting that transitioning from this foundational phase to an industrial scale will require a massive, coordinated effort. In his remarks, the company’s Supply Chain Director, Federico Agressi, disclosed that the collaborative effort requires “building a sustainable commercial barley value chain in Nigeria, is a long journey; it will require hard work and persistence from everyone involved. “This starts with the local farming communities, and includes seed companies, input providers, financing partners, aggregators and, above all, strong and consistent support from government.” According to the company, the necessary policy environment for the transition, entails sustained government policy support, including continued import allowances during this critical transition period, which is required to protect existing industries and supply chains while local capacities are systematically built up over the coming years. It explained that the agronomic foundation is ready for expansion, stressing that after years of Research and Development with the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) and Secobra Research, three high-yield barley varieties (Traveler, Explorer, and Prunella) were registered in 2024. “Furthermore, a joint study with IDH and Dalberg has identified over 400,000 hectares of suitable farmland across Northern Nigeria. The programme aims to empower 20,000 farmers by 2030, but achieving this vision depends entirely on close collaboration with the government, international development partners, and the broader private sector to provide the necessary financing, infrastructure, and policy stability,” the company stated.