On-the-go snacking consumption in Nigeria

7 June 2023. On-the-go snacking consumption in Nigeria is rising steadily, presenting opportunities for SMEs to enter the market. 

In terms of bars, fruit, and sweet snacks alone, this market segment is expected to exceed half a million tonnes by 2025. The main driver is the burgeoning population, estimated at 223.8 million in 2023, a 2.41% increase over 2022, and expected to grow to 377 million by 2050.

The SnackFix small-scale cereal bar production system from Swiss technology group Bühler (https://www.BuhlerGroup.com/) is a solution for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to add value to locally produced grains in Nigeria and assist the country to address food security.

With the price of wheat projected to rise to record heights, Nigeria cannot possibly feed the growing population by importing wheat and other products. On the one hand, there is a shortage of forex and on the other hand, prices are escalating globally. That is where innovation, using local grains, plays an important role in food security, especially as these can be successfully incorporated into ready-to-eat foods.  Manuel Murrenhoff, Managing Director, Bühler Nigeria.

SnackFix includes a continuous mixer, a cooling tunnel, and a cutting system, all in one – everything needed for quality production. The combination allows SMEs to manufacture a huge variety of cereal bars at a volume of up to 130 kg per hour.

Background 

Bühler invests up to 5% of annual turnover into research and development. In 2022, some 12,500 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company, Bühler is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 103 service stations, 30 manufacturing sites, and Application&Training Centers in 24 countries. www.BuhlerGroup.com

With offices in Lagos and Kano, Bühler Nigeria is a leader in grain and food processing and offers solutions for grain drying and storage, flour milling, rice milling, cacao and chocolate processing, wafer and biscuit, pasta and noodles, feed, and aqua feed milling. Bühler Nigeria also provides support in the form of solutions for ink and coating applications and flexible packaging systems.