Chilli drying systems in Nigeria
What the crop demands, what the country imposes, and what that means for capacity.
Nigeria consumes and grows chilli in enormous quantity, and the domestic dried-pepper trade is one of the largest in Africa. It is also almost entirely ground-dried on tarpaulins and roadsides, which is where the aflatoxin comes from — and unlike an export chain, the domestic market has no border test to catch it.
The situation in Nigeria
The domestic market is the story. Two hundred million consumers mean a processor can build a serious business without ever exporting, which changes the specification: buyers want volume, price and consistency rather than EU documentation. Power is the binding constraint almost everywhere, and a heat source that does not depend on the grid is not a sustainability choice here but an operational one.
Growing regions. Kano, Kaduna and Kebbi in the north, Oyo and Ogun in the south-west, the Niger delta
What chilli drying demands
Chilli is bought on colour and on aflatoxin, in that order of visibility and the reverse order of consequence. Ground-dried chilli picks up mould during the drying itself, and a lot that fails on aflatoxin is worthless rather than downgraded. Enclosed drying at 55–62 °C addresses both at once.
Harvest calendar
November to March in the northern producing states, following the harvest. The early part of the window still carries humidity from the tail of the rains.
The working campaign window as the trade runs it. It shifts a fortnight either way with the rains.
Process parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Drying temperature | 55–62 °C |
| Final moisture | 8–10 % |
| Yield (fresh : dried) | 6 : 1 |
| Cycle time | 14–20 h |
Sizing starting points from ordinary processing practice, not a validated recipe for your product. Confirm against your own intake and your buyer’s specification.
Worked sizing example
For a unit taking 8 tonnes of fresh product a day, at a yield of 6 : 1:
Illustrative figures calculated from the yield and campaign window above. They size a conversation; they do not describe any existing installation.
Fuel available in Nigeria
Palm kernel shell in the south-east, rice husk in Kebbi and the north, and an unmatched cassava peel resource — wash it before use.
- Base load. Palm kernel shell · Rice husk · Cassava peel
- Supplement. Cashew shell · Corn cob · Sawdust · Cocoa pod husk
See all 27 fuels and their properties
Market and buyer requirements
Domestic, at very large volume, plus export to the UK and EU where aflatoxin limits are enforced. The domestic health case is arguably stronger than the export commercial one.
Frequently asked questions
Is aflatoxin only an export problem?
No, and that is the uncomfortable part. Export lots are tested at the border; domestic ones are not, so contaminated chilli that would be destroyed at Rotterdam is simply eaten. Enclosed drying at 55–62 °C addresses both markets with one change.
How much chilli does 8 t/day represent?
About 1.3 tonnes a day of dried product at roughly 6 : 1, over a 14 to 20 hour cycle. That is a substantial trader-level operation rather than a farm one, at the scale where consistent colour starts to command a premium.
Does drying affect colour as well as safety?
Yes, and colour is what buyers grade on first. Ground-dried chilli bleaches in direct sun and picks up dust; the same crop dried enclosed at 55–62 °C down to 8–10 % holds its red, which is visible at the point of sale in a way that aflatoxin is not.
Size a unit in Nigeria
Tell us your daily fresh volume and target output, and we will size the chambers, the burner and the fuel available around your site.
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