{"id":11924,"date":"2026-01-19T15:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jhb-webdevelopers\/channelafrica\/lifestyle-ent\/nigerias-ancient-jaggery-craft-survives-in-northern-sugarcane-fields\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:23:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:23:08","slug":"nigerias-ancient-jaggery-craft-survives-in-northern-sugarcane-fields","status":"publish","type":"lifestyle-ent","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/lifestyle-ent\/nigerias-ancient-jaggery-craft-survives-in-northern-sugarcane-fields\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria\u2019s ancient jaggery craft survives in northern sugarcane fields"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the sugarcane fields of northern Nigeria, a centuries-old tradition continues quietly, even as the country depends heavily on imported sugar.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Jamilu Usman is among a dwindling number of producers still making jaggery, a natural sweetener known locally as mazarkwaila. Using techniques handed down through generations, he turns freshly harvested sugarcane into the dark, unrefined sugar that was once a staple in many communities.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The practice has become increasingly rare as industrially produced sugar dominates the market. Nigeria now imports the vast majority of the sugar it consumes, leaving traditional producers struggling to compete.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Yet for those who remain in the trade, jaggery making is about more than income. It represents a link to the past and a determination to preserve a craft rooted in local knowledge, at a time when many traditional livelihoods are being pushed to the margins.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;ChannelAfrica&#8211;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11925,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"featured-post":[269],"class_list":["post-11924","lifestyle-ent","type-lifestyle-ent","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","featured-post-nigeria","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lifestyle-ent\/11924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lifestyle-ent"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/lifestyle-ent"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"featured-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured-post?post=11924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}