How Nigerian Kola nuts make Millionaires in Brazil …$2 for a Kola

Adeyinka Olaiya, Editor-at-Large, Brazil/

A window of opportunity for Nigerian businessmen is wide open in Brazil, where a piece of Kola nut now sells for $2 (almost N1000) as Yoruba traditional religion is growing fast.

NewsmakersNG’s investigations revealed that the growth of the Yoruba culture and tradition in Brazil has encouraged the sales of some Yoruba religious articles including Kola nuts and Bitter Kolas among the Brazilian people.

Like in Nigeria, it is also said in Brazil that “he who brings Kola brings life”.

Those who are in the business told NewsmakersNG that the Kola nut, which is commonly used among native doctors in Brazil for spiritual purposes can cost up to USD$2 each, depending on the type of Kola nut.

According to them, the cheapest you can find in shops and shrines in Brazil starts from one dollar upwards.

The Kola nut market in Brazil has remained lucrative for decades and it has become one of the major avenues for Nigerian businessmen to cash some quick dollars.

Apart from the common consumption of the Kola nuts among the Brazilian people, the Babalorixá native doctors in Brazil also use the Kola nuts for Yoruba Ifa divination.

Mama Ogidan de Obi abata de Oxum, a female native doctor in Brazil, told NewsmakersNG: “My grandmother who was one of the last set of slaves freed in 1888 used Bitter Kola throughout her life for medicinal purposes and it was passed from generation to generation.”

Today, many Nigerians are importing several religious articles to sell in Brazil but the Kola nut still remains the most lucrative as it sells like hot cake.

The Brazilian Customs recently realized the multimillion dollar involved in the sales of the African religious articles and has since started regulating the entry of Kola nuts and other articles without authorization.

The native doctors in Brazil are mostly rich religious leaders going by the fact that most Brazilian people are used to consulting the oracles before taking decisions.

Apart from Kola nuts or Bitter Kola, African attires, beads, religious articles and many other African religious atingirá are also hot cakes in Brazil.

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