Nigeria’s spending on the importation of food and beverage products surged to N7.65 trillion in 2025, highlighting the country’s increasing reliance on foreign food supplies amid rising domestic demand and structural challenges in the agricultural sector.
The figures are based on the latest Foreign Trade Statistics report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report indicates that the imports consist of both primary food products and processed food items, which are used for industrial production as well as household consumption.
What the data is saying
Nigeria’s food import bill in 2025 was largely driven by the importation of both primary and processed food products used across industries and households.
- Primary food and beverage imports accounted for N3.49 trillion of the total import value.
- Out of this amount, N2.09 trillion was imported mainly for industrial use, while N1.40 trillion was primarily meant for household consumption.
- Processed food and beverage imports reached N4.17 trillion, representing the largest share of the country’s total food import bill.
- Of the processed imports, N2.60 trillion was used mainly for industrial purposes such as food processing and manufacturing, while N1.57 trillion was targeted at household consumption.
The figures show that a substantial portion of Nigeria’s food imports is used as industrial inputs for food manufacturing, underscoring the role of imported raw materials in supporting the country’s food processing sector.
Context
Nigeria’s food import expenditure has recorded a steady increase over the past four years, reflecting widening gaps between domestic food production and national consumption needs.
- In 2024, Nigeria spent N6.58 trillion on food and beverage imports.
- In 2023, the country’s food import bill stood at N3.83 trillion.
- In 2022, Nigeria recorded N2.86 trillion in food and beverage imports.
The data indicate that Nigeria’s food import bill has more than doubled within four years, raising concerns about the country’s long-term food security and its dependence on imported food supplies.
What you should know
Nairametrics earlier reported that Nigeria could face a severe food crisis in 2026 as rising production costs, insecurity, and post-harvest losses push many farmers, especially in the North-Central and North-West, to abandon agriculture.
- Many of the farmers called on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and their state counterparts to prioritise smallholder farmers in their 2026 budget plans.
- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that about 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the next lean season.
- Nairametrics previously reported that Nigeria’s import bill for food and beverages rose to N5.27 trillion in the first nine months of 2025.
NBS earlier reported that Nigeria recorded a trade surplus of N1.71 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025, even as exports declined during the period.
