Nigeria spent ₦7.65 trillion on food and beverage imports in 2025, highlighting the country’s increasing reliance on foreign food supplies amid declining domestic agricultural production.
The figures were revealed in the latest Foreign Trade Statistics report released by the (NBS).
Breakdown of Food Import Spending
According to the report, Nigeria imported both primary food products and processed food items used for industrial production and household consumption.
Primary food and beverage imports accounted for ₦3.49 trillion of the total expenditure. Out of this amount:
- ₦2.09 trillion was used mainly for industrial purposes
- ₦1.40 trillion went toward household consumption
However, processed food and beverage imports formed the largest share of the import bill, reaching ₦4.17 trillion in 2025.
Of the processed imports:
- ₦2.60 trillion was used by industries for food processing and manufacturing
- ₦1.57 trillion was consumed directly by households
The data suggests that a significant portion of Nigeria’s food imports is used as raw materials by domestic manufacturers, showing how heavily the country’s food processing sector depends on imported inputs.
Food Import Bill More Than Doubles
Nigeria’s food import spending has surged significantly over the past four years.
Data from the shows:
- 2022: ₦2.86 trillion
- 2023: ₦3.83 trillion
- 2024: ₦6.58 trillion
- 2025: ₦7.65 trillion
This means the country’s food import bill has more than doubled within four years, raising concerns about long-term food security and economic vulnerability to global supply disruptions.
Farmers Blame Structural Challenges
Agriculture stakeholders attribute the growing import dependence to several structural challenges affecting local farmers.
These include rising production costs, insecurity in farming communities, and significant post-harvest losses.
Many farmers in the North-Central and North-West regions have reportedly scaled down operations or abandoned farming due to these difficulties.
They are urging the and state governments to prioritise support for smallholder farmers in their 2026 budgets in order to boost local food production.
Food Security Concerns Rising
Meanwhile, the (FAO) has warned that about 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the next lean season.
Despite the surge in imports, Nigeria still recorded a ₦1.71 trillion trade surplus in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to earlier figures released by the , even as exports declined during the same period.
Experts say addressing infrastructure gaps, improving farm security, and increasing investment in agricultural value chains will be crucial for reducing Nigeria’s dependence on food imports.
