In a deliberate push to shrink Nigeria’s widening honey import bill, a Kwara-based agribusiness, Honeyz Depot, has unveiled an ambitious expansion plan to scale local production to five tonnes by 2026, with a longer-term target of 20 tonnes annually by 2030.
The Executive Director of the firm, Mrs Maryam Mahmud, disclosed this during an interview in Ilorin, noting that the initiative is designed to strengthen domestic capacity in apiculture and ease the country’s dependence on foreign honey supplies.
Mahmud said the expansion would be driven by a hybrid production model combining company-owned anchor apiaries with a structured outgrower scheme for beekeepers, a strategy she described as critical to achieving scale without compromising quality.
According to her, Nigeria’s honey market continues to expand, buoyed by growing demand from the food, pharmaceutical and personal care industries. However, she observed that local output remains disproportionately low, meeting less than a tenth of national consumption and forcing the country to rely heavily on imports.
“This imbalance presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Our focus is to close the supply gap by investing in controlled production, traceability and consistent quality, while building a sustainable beekeeper network,” Mahmud said.
She explained that Honeyz Depot’s roadmap aligns with broader national objectives on agricultural import substitution, adding that the planned scale-up would consolidate the company’s footprint in Kwara State while contributing to the domestic economy.
Mahmud, who also serves as the firm’s lead beekeeper, said she maintains direct oversight of production to ensure adherence to strict standards across the value chain. She noted that the company’s experience in distribution has consistently revealed significant unmet demand for quality honey.
Beyond boosting supply, she said the expansion is expected to create jobs, support rural livelihoods, enhance pollination services and encourage environmentally sustainable farming practices in host communities.
“Our distribution experience has made it clear that demand far outstrips supply. This next phase allows us to take greater control of production and scale responsibly in line with market needs,” she said.
Honeyz Depot, widely regarded as the largest honey distributor in Kwara State, has operated the state’s only exclusive walk-in honey store and dominated local distribution for the past five years. The company commenced honey production three years ago and is now positioning itself for semi-commercial operations, signalling a strategic shift from trading to full-scale agribusiness integration.
