Kola
Cured whole and split kola nut, the caffeine- and kolanin-bearing cotyledon of Cola nitida, traded across West Africa for chewing and ceremonial use and internationally as a flavoring and extract feedstock for cola-type beverages, confectionery and nutraceuticals. Nigeria is the largest single producer, with Cola nitida cultivated across the southwestern and south-central forest-belt states. The West African kola trade runs on trader-buyer mutual inspection and traditional knowledge rather than a published, enforced national grading standard, which is the grading gap this class documents.
Start the deal with our desk
Choose the deal you want. A trader on our desk picks it up directly, no signup required.
Nothing here matches what you are holding? Send it anyway. The sheets cover the markets we publish, not the limit of what the desk will look at.
Listed kola markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Price guarantee on kola
If a move in the kola price would hurt you, fix the price now. We agree it today for the months you name, and it holds whatever the market does in between.
| Buying | You use or resell kola and need to know your cost. We fix your purchase price for the quantity and months you name. |
|---|---|
| Selling | You grow, produce or hold kola and need to know your revenue. We fix your sale price ahead of production or shipment. |
| Settlement | Against delivery of the kola. |
A price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing. Ask the desk for a fixed price.
Caps and floors on kola
A fixed price binds buyer and seller. A cap or a floor is a guaranteed price on one side only. You pay a fee up front for it, and it is a right, not an obligation: you use it only if the market moves against you.
| Cap | For buyers. A guaranteed maximum price for kola. If the market is above the cap when you buy, you pay the cap. If it is below, you buy at the market price and let the cap lapse. |
|---|---|
| Floor | For sellers. A guaranteed minimum price for kola. If the market is below the floor when you sell, you receive the floor. If it is above, you sell at the market price and let the floor lapse. |
| Fee | Agreed and paid up front. It is the whole cost of the cap or floor, and it is not refunded if the cap or floor goes unused. |
A cap or a floor is in place only once a trader confirms it in writing. Ask the desk for a cap or a floor.
Grades
No mandatory Nigerian or ECOWAS grading standard for kola nut was found. Peer-reviewed and extension literature on West African kola marketing describes grading as based on cotyledon size, colour and count per unit weight, judged by trader-buyer mutual inspection and traditional knowledge, rather than a formal, published specification. This is the documented grading gap for the class.
Cotyledon size and count
2 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| LARGELarge whole cotyledon | fewer, larger cotyledons per kilogram, commands trade premium |
| MIXEDMixed/ungraded run | unsorted field-run mix of cotyledon sizes |
Moisture and storage condition
2 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SOUNDSound, low-moisture, mould-free | properly cured, free of visible mould and insect damage |
| DAMAGEDDamaged/high-moisture lot | visible mould, weevil holes, or elevated moisture; discounted or rejected |
Colour and freshness
2 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| FRESHCOLFresh colour | pinkish-white to natural red cotyledon colour, not browned |
| OXIDISEDOxidised/browned | browned cotyledon from age or poor curing, discounted |
Caffeine/kolanin content
2 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| ASSAYEDLab-assayed lot | caffeine/theobromine content confirmed by independent lab assay, required by beverage/extract buyers |
| UNASSAYEDUnassayed field lot | no lab assay performed, sold on visual grade only |
Quality separation in practice runs on cotyledon size/count per kilogram, colour uniformity (fresh pinkish-white to red cotyledon versus oxidised/browned), moisture content, and absence of mould, insect (weevil) damage, or split/shrivelled nuts. Buyers assess these visually and by hand at the point of sale; no accredited third-party certification scheme for kola nut grade was found in Nigeria.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Ondo State (including Idanre and Ijare growing areas) | origin, smallholder production |
| Nigeria | Oyo State | origin and major inland trading/aggregation hub (Ibadan) |
| Nigeria | Lagos State | export aggregation and port of exit |
| Cote d'Ivoire | national | competing West African origin |
| Ghana | national | competing West African origin |
| Cameroon | national | regional overland import market |
| Niger | national | regional overland import market |
| Chad | national | regional overland import market |
| United States | national | flavoring, extract and diaspora specialty-retail destination market |
| United Kingdom | national | diaspora specialty-retail destination market |
Nigeria is the leading world producer of kola nut, cited at roughly 70 percent of world output by the Integrated Kolanut Producers, Marketers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (IKPMEAN). Cola nitida is cultivated across Nigeria's southwestern and south-central forest belt, including Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Kwara and Kogi states, with Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana as the other major West African producers.
Timing
Cola nitida in Nigeria produces a main crop and a lighter secondary crop each year.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest May to DecMain crop concentrated October to December; a lighter secondary crop occurs May to June. |
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Common questions
What grades of kola does SIP Global trade?
We quote 8 published grades of kola, including LARGE - Large whole cotyledon, MIXED - Mixed/ungraded run, SOUND - Sound, low-moisture, mould-free, DAMAGED - Damaged/high-moisture lot, FRESHCOL - Fresh colour and OXIDISED - Oxidised/browned. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is kola graded?
No mandatory Nigerian or ECOWAS grading standard for kola nut was found. Peer-reviewed and extension literature on West African kola marketing describes grading as based on cotyledon size, colour and count per unit weight, judged by trader-buyer mutual inspection and traditional knowledge, rather than a formal, published specification. This is the documented grading gap for the class. Grading runs on 4 systems: Cotyledon size and count, Moisture and storage condition, Colour and freshness and Caffeine/kolanin content.
Where does SIP Global trade kola?
We trade kola in Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Niger and Chad and 2 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is kola harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Nigeria: harvest may to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
Can I fix a kola price ahead?
Yes. SIP Global fixes a kola price ahead for buyers and for sellers, as a price guarantee. Send the grade, the quantity and the months you need covered. We settle against delivery, and a price is fixed only once a trader confirms it in writing.
How do I get a price for kola?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 4 listed kola markets are published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We buy and sell the physical cargo, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- UN Comtrade (opens in new tab)Official international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade Map (opens in new tab)Bilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTAT (opens in new tab)FAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities