Nigeria, a tropical country, boasts a diverse array of indigenous fruits. It's common to find fruit-bearing trees in backyards and streets, providing shade and sustenance, especially for the younger generation. However, many exotic Nigerian fruits are sadly being forgotten or are no longer cultivated. Let's explore some of these common yet increasingly rare fruit trees.
Map of Nigeria's vegetation zones, highlighting the diverse environments where various fruit trees thrive.
The Almond Tree
Apart from its pleasant and unique taste, the almond fruit stands out as the only fruit that’s referred to simply as “fruit” by the majority in Nigeria. People were unable to obtain the true name of the fruit, therefore they settled for the moniker "fruit." The name is an attempt to avoid being wrong since it is, undeniably, a fruit.
The almond tree is a deciduous tree, growing with an average height of 20 feet, and with a trunk of up to a foot. Tropical almond is native to Southeast Asia, but is highly distributed in Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries. It can grow 30-55 feet, with evenly distributed large, glossy, leathery, green leaves. The fruits, when unripe, are green, but changes to yellow or red, when they’re ripe enough to be eaten. The outer part is researched to be high in tannic acid. The shell in the inside can be sun-dried and can yield yellow oil. According to research, the nut has more protein than chicken and more fibre than oats. Because of the ample almond trees on our way home, we plucked as many fruits as we could and even plucked for our siblings.
It’s hard to find a Lagos State Government-owned secondary school without an almond tree. This is because Lagos State Government strongly upholds the significance of forestation. In a broadcast published by electronic news outlet Today, the Lagos State government said it would plant orchards in 20 secondary schools. In a bid to fulfil its forestation schemes in secondary schools, varieties of trees like mango, guava and other trees that don’t produce fruits are planted. Almond trees almost always find their way into the schools’ surroundings for purposes like beautification, creation of outdoor learning space, improvement of air quality, provision of shade and others-not consumption.
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The ideal way is to stand on the ground and aim at the fruits with a long stick or stones. We never got tired of relishing its tart taste; we would always come back for more. It had a way of quenching our hunger while we conversed. Every spot that'd an almond tree was one of our mediums of socialization as some of us formed our friendship structures from these environs. From there, I learned how to speak Pidgin English so well.
It was customary for me to put a polythene bag inside my school bag before I leave home for school, so I could bring home the fruits for my siblings. The fragrance is so overwhelming that it always announced itself whenever I got home; my siblings would run up to me, so they could whet their tongue with its tart taste. Most times, my mother left home before the arrival of my younger siblings, and the fruit would be the only thing my siblings had for lunch. I liked to see them sharing it as a symbolic representation of love, since it somewhat looks like a heart.
The almond fruit is versatile: When the hull is completely eaten, one is left with a hard shell that shelters a nut. My siblings and I would gather the shells, then break them delicately with a hammer so the nuts inside them would not be squashed. Every now and then, we’d find a fruit with two nuts inside. We would gather the nuts and use them alongside soaked garri.
And every time I walk past an almond tree, I see some of my sweetest childhood days being played on its body. Presently, I am a student at Obafemi Awolowo University, one of Nigeria’s top-notch universities. There's a path that leads to a particular place called Moremi Hall; that path is ornamented with almond trees. I go there every night to meditate, so I could see my childhood come before me again, and my friends are beginning to ask me why I am obsessed with this place.
White Star Apple (Agbalumo/Udala)
Gambeya albida, commonly known as white star apple, is a forest fruit tree commonly found throughout tropical Africa. It is closely related to the African star apple (Gambeya africana) which is also common throughout West Africa. Some schools of thought feel that they may just be a variety of the same species. Amongst the Yoruba of Nigeria, it is called Agbalumo while it is called udala (udara) in Igbo, Udari among the Efiks of Southern Nigeria with the usage of the latter term, coincidentally, also permeating across much of south-western Nigeria (i.e., further east of Akoko-Ondo) the northern (Hausa-Fulani) parts of the country. The Hausa people refer to it as Agwaluma, a term they adopted from the Yoruba language, rather than "Agbalumo".
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The Agbalumo fruit, also known as white star apple.
Other Notable Nigerian Fruits
Besides almond and white star apple, Nigeria is home to a variety of other fruits, each with its unique characteristics and cultural significance:
- Black Tamarind: From a tree native to West Africa, Dialium guineense. It is an orange coloured, powdery pulp fruit with a thin velvet black shell. It is known as a alternative analgesic, hence, sometimes used to relied menstrual cramps. The pulp can also serve as flavour to drinks and beverages. The twig of the plant serves as local chewing stick.
- Red Mombin (Siriguela): Also known as red mombin, and popularly called “iyeye” in some the Southwest part of Nigeria. This fruit is oval shaped and is green when unripe, and turns yellow when ripe. Research shows that red mombin is rich in vitamins and minerals, and it’s an excellent source for those with low immunity, anemia, or lack of nutrients. The nutritional elements include vitamins A, B, C, calcium, iron and phosphorus.
- Red Monkey Kola: Popularly known as “Obi Ẹdun” in Southwest, Nigeria and is one of the species of West African kolanut tree. It has a reddish exocarp and a whitish seed on the inside. Findings have revealed that monkey kola lowers the risk of heart disease, aids metabolism, helps maintain healthy bones, and is highly recommended for weight control. Its leaves are therapeutic and are used to cure eye infections.
There are many reasons why fruits may go extinct, just like some food crops and animal extinction. There are some truly exotic Nigerian fruits most of which are sadly being forgotten or no longer cultivated.
Nutritional Information of Selected Nigerian Fruits
| Fruit | Key Nutrients | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Almond | Protein, Fiber | Provides more protein than chicken and more fiber than oats. |
| Red Mombin | Vitamins A, B, C, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus | Excellent for those with low immunity, anemia, or lack of nutrients. |
| Red Monkey Kola | - | Lowers the risk of heart disease, aids metabolism, helps maintain healthy bones, and is highly recommended for weight control. |
There are some truly exotic Nigerian fruits most of which are sadly being forgotten or no longer cultivated. According to nutritionists, we have fewer fruits today when compared with what we used to have five decades ago.
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These fruits are going into extinction because they’re no longer grown in the large quantities they used to be grown. Some of these fruits are not even grown anymore, and the occasional appearances they have are from the already grown, and dying ones.
