Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) are an important native African legume crop, whose seeds are sold in local urban and rural markets. West Africa is the main centre of diversity for cowpeas. Nigeria is the world's largest producer and second in acreage. The production trend shows a significant improvement of cowpea cultivation in this country from 1961 to 1995. In this period, Nigerian cowpea production increased by 441% according to available statistics of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This paper discusses the evolution of cowpea production from the early 1960s until recent years in Nigeria, along with new technology for cultivation (for example, improved cultivars) of this crop developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria.