Nigeria spent N7.65 trillion on the importation of food and beverage products in 2025.
This is according to data in 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 and further highlights the country’s increasing reliance on foreign food supplies.
The report showed that primary food and beverage imports accounted for N3.49 trillion of the total import value and that out of the 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.
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 and 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.
