Description

Kola is a product of the kola tree. It is one of the country’s cash crops and has a socio-economic significance in the Nigeria society.

Nigeria is a principal producer of kola nuts producing about 150,000 tons annually of which over 90 % are locally consumed.

Kola is usually in two varieties namely bitter kola and kola nuts. Though the focus of this manual is on bitter kola export, It is important to note that the kola nuts variety can be further sub-divided into Gworo and Igbo Oji. While gworo is mostly consumed in the Northern part of the country, Igbo oji is mostly consumed in the Eastern part of the country and they play a very significant role in the custom and tradition of the people of the Eastern region.

Kola trees are natives of central and West Africa and are distinguished primarily by the medicinal and stimulant properties of their nuts, barks and leaves.

Bitter {Garcinia} Kola is one of the varieties of kola that can be found in the Nigeria which are mostly found in the southern parts of the country and some of their uses are stated below.

1. They are used in the preparation of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry.
2. They are used in the production of cola soft drinks.
3. They are used in the production of energy drinks

The product is usually available in the market between March to November of the year.

In Nigeria, bitter kola can be sourced from the southern part of the country. Nigeria is one of the highest producers of bitter Kola in Nigeria.

Though about 90% of the current production of 150,000 MT is being consumed locally in the country, Bitter Kola {Garcinia} is in great demand in Britain, America, China, India and other Asian countries. It is used for food purposes apart from serving as raw materials in the pharmaceutical and food industry in the preparation of drugs, soft cola and energy drinks.

These growth and demand for bitter kola is being sustained by the growing demand for traditional medical therapy and energy drink industry.

It is pertinent to also say at this stage that the business of gallstone export has been going on for quite some time throughout the world, although only very few people know about this lucrative business in Nigeria. The market is large, expanding and sustainable as the price keeps increasing throughout the world. Those few Nigerians that are aware of it have made their cool millions doing the business.

The product can be sourced mostly from southern part of the country in the following states in Ondo, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Imo, Ogun etc. The selling price is usually N 200 per KG.

Bitter Kola can be traded on a large or small scale. On a large scale, the order would be in tonnage and usually packaged in containers while for the small scale operations, the order is usually in kilograms and through courier companies like EMS, FEDEX, UPS, DHL and TNT.

Bitter Kola is also one of the products that can be exported to United States of America through the African Growth and Opportunity Act {AGOA}.