Dawanau Market in Kano

Nigerian Market Info Series

Located in the city of Kano, Dawanau market is the largest grain market in West Africa. Created in 1985, the market houses over 10,000 stores and 662 warehouses (averaging 6,000 cubic metres each).

It occupies an area approximately 3 km long and 400 m wide, and is divided into 5 zones : cowpeas (niebe) and sesame crops in zone A ; groundnut, wheat and cassava in zone B ; yams in zone C ; and maize, millet and sorghum in zone D. Zone E is used by transporters.

The market has a roster of twenty- seven groups, some specialised by crop or product, others not. Vendors must belong to one of these groups to operate in the market. In 1996, these groups created an umbrella organization, the Dawanau Market Development Association.

All the ethnic groups in Nigeria are represented, as well as merchants from the sub-region (mainly from Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Mali).  The market is a purely private enterprise, open every day from 6:00 a.m. to midnight in the off season and around the clock in the high season. Sales are mostly of crops grown in northern Nigeria:  cowpea, maize, sorghum, millet and rice.

Thousands of people work in and around the market:  there are over 4,000 warehouse staff, 500 security guards, immigration agents, police officers, etc.  Credit can be readily obtained at the marketplace itself (in an informal manner). Prices fluctuate very rapidly and merchants make heavy use of their networks (transporters, food processors, etc.) to stay abreast of prices, quantities, etc. via mobile phone.

For more market information, contact:

the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), Ahamdu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria