The Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s palm oil production increased from 1.28 million tonnes in 2020 to 1.57 million tonnes in 2025, even as domestic consumption rose from 2.45 million tonnes to 2.61 million tonnes during the same period.
The Secretary-General of the CPOPC, Izzanah Salleh, revealed this at the weekend during a press briefing in Abuja following meetings with officials of the Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Agriculture and Food Security.
Salleh said the widening gap between supply and demand continues to be bridged through imports, describing the situation as representing more than just trade statistics.
“The gap we see is not just a trade statistic. It represents foreign exchange outflow, rural income opportunities and untapped agro-industrial potential,” she said.
She noted that the council’s visit to Nigeria was guided by three objectives, including deepening technical and policy cooperation, strengthening South-South collaboration among producing countries, and advancing Nigeria’s engagement with the council, including the possibility of full membership.
The council, founded in 2015 by Indonesia and Malaysia, was established to promote cooperation among producing nations, empower smallholders, advance sustainability and ensure science-based global dialogue on vegetable oil, Salleh explained.
While lobbying Nigeria to move from observer to full membership of the council, she said membership status would provide Nigeria access to technical cooperation, market intelligence, training for smallholders, and stronger representation in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Salleh reiterated that while Nigeria’s observer status allows limited participation in council activities, full membership would unlock broader technical and policy support aimed at boosting productivity, improving sustainability and strengthening the country’s competitiveness in the global palm oil market.
On environmental concerns, Salleh said sustainability remains central to the council’s agenda, with member countries implementing certification systems such as Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil, alongside the voluntary Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
Responding to questions about deforestation, council representatives maintained that oil palm yields per hectare are significantly higher than those of other vegetable oil crops, reducing pressure on land expansion when managed sustainably.
