Groundnut pyramids were the invention of Alhassan Dantata, a prominent nut trader. Dantata came to Kano in 1919 and within five years was one of the most successful businessmen, supplying the Royal Niger Company (RNC) with most of their groundnuts. Dantata's company kept their groundnuts at a facility in Kofar Nassarawa, and they stacked the bags in the shape of a pyramid before they were shipped.[1] One groundnut pyramid could be made from as much as 15,000 full groundnut bags.[1] A journalist who visited a former groundnut pyramid site in Kano reported that the land was now a football field.[2]

Groundnut pyramids were built all across northern Nigeria, in cities like Kofar Mazugal, Brigade, Bebeji, Malam Madori and Dawakin Kudu.[3] The pyramids became synonymous with Nigeria's agricultural wealth; a postage stamp even featured a groundnut pyramid.[1] However, as groundnut production declined in the 1970s and 80s the groundnut pyramids disappeared and were replaced with buildings.[4]