The kola nut tree is grown for its seed. The tree is indigenous to west Africa, where it is widely cultivated. It’s now also found in Asia, South America and the Caribbean.
World production of kola nut was about 311,331 tonnes in 2021. Over 90% of the world’s kola nut is produced in west Africa, where Nigeria contributes 50%, Cameroon 27%, Côte d'Ivoire 16% and Ghana 8%.
The most popular species are Cola nitida (known in west Africa as gbànja in the Yòrùbá language; oji in Igbo; gworo in Hausa) and Cola acuminata (àbàtà, Yòrùbá).
