Nigeria spent N3.3 trillion on food and beverage imports in the first half of 2026, despite a 3.1 per cent decline compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
The figure was contained in the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) Q1 and Q2 2026 Foreign Trade Statistics, analysed by Nairametrics.
According to the data, Nigeria’s food and beverage import bill rose significantly from N1.39 trillion in the first quarter to N1.91 trillion in the second quarter, representing a substantial increase in import expenditure within the six-month period.
Despite the quarterly increase, the N3.30 trillion recorded in H1 2026 was lower than the N3.40 trillion spent on food and beverage imports in the first half of 2025.
In 2025, the country spent N1.67 trillion on food and beverage imports in Q1 and N1.73 trillion in Q2.
The NBS data showed that primary food and beverage products accounted for N1.58 trillion of the total import bill in H1 2026.
Of this amount, N634.05 billion was recorded in Q1, while imports rose to N948.42 billion in Q2.
Primary food and beverage products mainly intended for household consumption accounted for N811.93 billion, increasing from N280.81 billion in Q1 to N531.12 billion in Q2.
Meanwhile, primary products mainly used by industries stood at N770.54 billion, comprising N353.24 billion in Q1 and N417.31 billion in Q2.
Processed food and beverage imports accounted for the larger share, totalling N1.72 trillion during the period.
The category increased from N758.52 billion in Q1 to N956.67 billion in Q2.
Processed products mainly intended for industrial use accounted for N780.42 billion, while those primarily meant for household consumption stood at N934.78 billion.
The Q2 increase was therefore recorded across both primary and processed food imports, with household-oriented products posting particularly strong growth.
The latest figures come after Nigeria’s annual food and beverage import bill reached N7.65 trillion in 2025, up from N6.58 trillion in 2024.
The country had spent N3.83 trillion on food and beverage imports in 2023 and N2.86 trillion in 2022.
The continued high value of food imports reflects the combined impact of import volumes, international commodity prices and exchange-rate movements.
It also underscores the role of food imports in Nigeria’s external trade, amid persistent concerns over food affordability, domestic supply and food security.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that about 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the next lean season.
The trend is likely to increase pressure on policymakers to strengthen domestic agricultural production, storage, processing and distribution capacity while reducing the country’s dependence on imported food.
The Federal Government has also introduced a new chicken breed and 57 crop varieties as part of efforts to boost food production, improve food security and enhance Nigerians’ nutritional well-being.
Meanwhile, concerns remain over rising production costs, insecurity and post-harvest losses, which have continued to threaten agricultural output and place additional pressure on farmers and food supply chains.
Boluwatife Enome
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