In West Africa, Nigeria is by far the largest producer of chilli pepper, representing circa 54% of total regional output. Second place is claimed by Niger, which accounts for approximately 17% of total volume. Third place goes to Benin, with just under 10% of total volume.

CAVOLA’s purchasing agents keep a beady eye on seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and other climatic conditions. They use this intelligence to ensure that our customers receive consistently high quality at the best possible price.

Nigeria’s position as the continent’s leading producer of cocoa was ceded long ago to Côte d’Ivoire, which now accounts for approximately 59% of total continental volume.

Nevertheless, although our home base accounts for only 10% of African cocoa production, our beans are highly prized for their distinctive flavour profile and their rich aroma, leading to high demand from the producers of premium chocolate and other cocoa-based products.

Nigeria is not just the biggest producer of ginger in West Africa but a premier league star in the global production of this increasingly popular superfood. This is largely because Nigerian ginger is among the most prized in the world, thanks to its aroma, pungency and high oil and oleoresin content.

CAVOLA sources most of its premium-grade ginger from Kaduna state. But we also take product from Nasarawa, Niger, Gombe, Bauchi, and Benue.

The global demand for hibiscus has been booming over the past few years, fueled by rising demand for its use in natural cosmetics, herbal teas and a variety of other health products.

In Nigeria, CAVOLA’s purchasing agents prefer supplies from Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Katsina, and Borno, where the climatic conditions are ideal for the cultivation of the Roselle variety of hibiscus. Known for its deep red calyces, the Roselle variety is rich in anthocyanins, antioxidants and vitamin C.

Oil palm trees originated in West Africa and, until the mid 1950s, Nigeria was the world’s leading producer of oil palm products. But, over subsequent decades, new sources of production sprung up. Now around 90% of the world's oil palm trees are grown on a few islands in Malaysia and Indonesia, where tropical rainforests have been cleared to make room for large oil palm plantations, destroying critical habitat and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

So it’s no surprise that at CAVOLA we’re committed to the revivification of the West African oil palm industry. And we aim, wherever possible, to ensure that all products can be traced to the farm gate.

India dominates global oleoresin extraction, processing over 60% of world output, followed by China at approximately 15%. But African-origin oleoresin is a fast-growing segment as international buyers seek supply diversification away from Asian concentration risk.

CAVOLA delivers oleoresin from turmeric and ginger to food-ingredient and pharmaceutical buyers, drawing on a curated panel of established extraction partners across the region. Each consignment is accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis specifying active-compound concentration -  curcuminoids, gingerols, volatile aromatics — residual solvent levels and microbiological profile to internationally recognised standards.

Nigeria is Africa’s second largest producer of sesame seeds, with 80% of annual product destined for the export market where it is highly prized because of its rich oil content.

CAVOLA sources sesame seeds from farmers who produce and harvest twice in a planting season. This relatively long producing season - in combination with good storage and warehousing facilities -makes our sesame available for export all year around.

West Africa accounts for approximately 90% of global shea nut production, and Nigeria is the continent's second-largest producer after Mali, contributing roughly 20% of total regional output. Ghana holds third position at around 15%, followed by Burkina Faso. The fractionation of refined shea butter yields stearin - the high-melting solid fraction prized by European confectionery manufacturers as a Cocoa Butter Equivalent - and olein, its softer liquid counterpart used in cosmetics and cooking oils.

CAVOLA supplies CBE-grade stearin to specification, working with an audited network of regional fractionators to ensure that iodine value, slip point and free fatty acid parameters meet the intake standards of Tier-1 chocolate manufacturers. Every consignment is laboratory-tested against the buyer's quality envelope before shipment.

At CAVOLA, we’ve seen a phenomenal growth in demand for Nigerian turmeric, with overseas buyers extremely keen on the dried turmeric flakes that we source from Kaduna and other northern states.

This demand reflects the fact that the turmeric grown in northern Nigeria has a particularly high concentration of curcumin, the active compound responsible for its bright yellow colour and its highly prized health benefits, including its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

West Africa is the sole commercial source of shea butter worldwide, and Nigeria ranks as the region's second-largest producer behind Mali. Burkina Faso and Ghana occupy third and fourth positions respectively. Crude shea butter is traditionally processed at village level; however, the growing demand for cosmetic-grade and food-grade refined butter -  with controlled moisture, free fatty acid content and colour -  is shifting value toward mechanised refining operations closer to the source.

CAVOLA supplies refined shea butter to cosmetic and food-grade specification, sourcing through established refining partners across the shea belt. Our procurement teams maintain visibility from women-led collection cooperatives through to finished product, ensuring quality consistency at every stage and that the pricing premium of refined butter flows back to the producing communities.