NIGERIA is the leading producer of
GumArabicin West Africa. As well, it is the second
largest world producer/exporter of
GumArabicafter Sudan.
GumArabic(acacia senegalis) is a perennial tree found
growing wild in large commercial quantity in the northern parts of
Nigeria. However, when cultivated it takes about 5years to
mature. Gum arabic is a leguminous tree species that is
well adapted to sudan and sahelian agro-ecology of Africa and it
produces a natural gum made of hardened sap mostly taken from three
species of the acacia tree; Acacia senegal (Grade 1), Acacia
seyal(Grade 2) and Combretum though the major Acacia utilized for
commercial Gum Arabic production in Nigeria are Acacia Senegal and
Acacia seyal.
