Agricultural trade between the United States and Nigeria is on track to exceed $700 million in 2025, as new shipments of U.S. wheat arrive in Nigeria.
The update was shared in a post on X by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Tuesday.
“In 2025, U.S.-Nigeria agricultural trade is on track to more than double to over $700 million, benefiting farmers, businesses, and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic,” the Mission stated
Wheat remains central to Nigerian food staples, bread, noodles, pastries and other products. The consistent high demand for these staples underpins robust import activity, even as local output efforts continue.
Flour Mills drives U.S. wheat imports
According to the U.S. Mission, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) is at the centre of Nigeria’s dependence on imported wheat, using large volumes of U.S. wheat to sustain its milling and food‑processing operations.
“Flour Mills of Nigeria, one of the largest importers of U.S. wheat in Nigeria,” they stated
FMN produces a wide range of wheat-based products, including flour under its Golden Penny brand, pasta, noodles, and other bakery items. These products serve millions of Nigerians daily and are also distributed to regional markets across West Africa.
Nairametrics reports that in Q1 2025, the United States supplied goods worth N1.42 trillion, or 9.22% of total imports. China continued to dominate with N4.66 trillion, nearly one-third of total imports. India held the second spot with N1.72 trillion in exports to Nigeria.
European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and the UK, as well as the UAE, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, supplied smaller shares of Nigeria’s imports, mainly in industrial goods, food products, and machinery.
On the export side, Nigeria primarily sells to Europe, with goods valued at N8.64 trillion or 41.96% of total exports, followed by exports to Asia valued at N6.75 trillion or 32.79% of total exports, while exports to America were valued at N3,329.45 billion, representing 16.16% of total exports.
What you should know
Nigeria is currently not producing enough grains, including wheat, for a wheat consumption that is estimated at five to six million metric tons. As part of efforts to combat food insecurity, the federal government, last year, approved a 150-day duty-free window to allow the importation of maize, husked brown rice, and wheat.
The federal government has also launched and scaled up several initiatives aimed at expanding domestic wheat production under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme‑Agro Pocket (NAGS‑AP) programme. In the 2024/2025 dry‑season farming cycle, the government supported 250,000 wheat farmers, providing subsidised seeds and fertilisers with the goal of cultivating 250,000 hectares and producing up to 750,000 metric tonnes of wheat.
More recently, the government unveiled its 2025/2026 wheat farming initiative targeting 80,000 registered farmers across 16 wheat‑producing states, with an expected output value of around N160 billion.
To facilitate production, the government secured a $134 million loan facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to boost seed and grain production nationwide. This financing supports both dry‑season and wet‑season farming, aiming to stabilise food supply and strengthen national food security.
