GLOBAL TRENDS AND CONSTRAINTS IN FONIO RESEARCH FROM 1995 TO 2025 WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR SCALING UP PRODUCTION IN BAUCHI STATE

Abstract

The paper analyzed global production trends of fonio (Digitaria exilis and D. iburua) production

system and interpreted the local implications of its production with particular reference to Bauchi state, Nigeria. The study employed a comprehensive bibliometric and systematic analysis of 452 academic papers published between 1995 and 2025. The study revealed a chronological analysis of production of two distinct epochs. A period of stagnation between 1995 and 2000 which was followed by a sustained exponential growth that peaked sharply between 2019 and 2025 (with 46.90% of total publications). This pattern reflects a global paradigm shift to climate-smart, drought-tolerant agriculture under a regime of climate change. Spatial distribution mapping highlighted the dominance of West African countries including Guinea (N=106) and Nigeria (N=90) in domestic production. The lead role of developed European countries in international research networks of fonio was also documented. Local Nigerian studies were centered in the highlands of Plateau and Kaduna States. Thus, there is clearly a missing geographic focus on the fonio production areas of Bauchi State (Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas). Through a keyword co-occurrence network analysis, four  thematic areas were clustered for the studies, namely: Genetics and Breeding, Agronomy and Climate, Food Science and Health and Socio-economics. It has been shown that, although there is an increasing research into global fonio production systems and the health benefits derived from its low glycemic index, high dietary fiber content and gluten-free properties, local production and uptake of the crop is extremely limited in Bauchi State. Additionally, the crop has failed to penetrate the market at the urban level. Analysis of the value-chain demonstrated that the post-harvest processing challenges are the main structural impediment of the value chain (f=184).  The manual removal of husks by local women, introduction of sand and grit, were responsible for blocking its entry into formal supply chains of formal urban supermarkets. To bridge the gaps between the local social ecology and the global research frontiers on fonio, it is recommended that the state Ministry of Agriculture, should provide women cooperatives with locale-appropriate solar powered mechanical dehullers and destoners. Furthermore, standardizing local agronomic row planting methods, and setting up of community seed banks for conservation of local landraces, will help market the product. Last, but not the least, creating stable government market for the product at schools and health institutions will ensure its role as a food security option of the future.