Maize farming is one of the most profitable types of farming in Nigeria. In 2017, the Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) valued Nigeria's maize industry to be at $6bn, which is about N2. 5 trillion.. Nigeria is said to be the largest producer of maize in sub Saharan Africa, churning out about over 11 million metric tonnes per annum to meet a total national demand of 15.5 million metric tonnes. The country however still has a deficit of about 4.5 million metric tonnes currently bridged through importation.
In Nigeria, the largest volumes of maize are produced in the Northern region, particularly in Kaduna, Borno, Niger, and Taraba and in the South-Western States including Ogun, Ondo and Oyo.
Maize consists of 82% endosperm, 12% embryo and the left part is peel. Endosperm is the important raw material of starch, and maize oil is made of embryo. Peel is mainly used as animal feed. Maize processing methods can be divided into maize flour dry milling and wet milling. The hybrid pioneer maize seeds are one of the most prolific hybrid corn seeds varieties in Nigeria. The pioneer maize variety is bred and produced by Pioneer Inc. This variety has shown to be the highest yielding maize variety in Nigeria. The pioneer maize seeds can yield up to 12 tons of dry maize seeds per hectare.
Problems/constraints associated with the maize production From the survey conducted among the maize growers, lack of availability of quality seeds and fertilizers was ranked as the major problem followed by lack of advanced technology and training.
Corn flour is a whole-grain flour, so it contains oil. That means it won't stay fresh as long as refined flours. Put it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and it will stay fresh for nine to 12 months.