ONYINYECHI NWAIGBA 
Nigeria spent ₦3.30 trillion on food and beverage imports in the first half of 2026, highlighting the scale of the country’s dependence on imported food even as millions of Nigerians continue to face pressure over food access and affordability.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria spent ₦1.39 trillion on food and beverage imports in the first quarter of the year, before the figure increased to ₦1.91 trillion in the second quarter.
While the six-month figure represents a 3.1 per cent decline from the ₦3.40 trillion recorded in the first half of 2025, the size of the import bill remains significant.
The figures raise an important question for Nigeria’s food security strategy: why does a country with a large agricultural workforce continue to spend trillions of naira importing food?
Processed Food Accounts for More Than Half of the Import Bill
The NBS figures show that processed food and beverage products accounted for ₦1.72 trillion of the total import bill between January and June 2026.
The category increased from ₦758.52 billion in the first quarter to ₦956.67 billion in the second quarter.
Of the processed products imported, those mainly intended for household consumption accounted for ₦934.78 billion, while products primarily used by industries were valued at ₦780.42 billion.
Primary food and beverage imports accounted for another ₦1.58 trillion during the period.
Of this amount, products mainly intended for household consumption accounted for ₦811.93 billion, while those mainly used by industries stood at ₦770.54 billion.
The increase between the first and second quarters was therefore not limited to one category. Both primary and processed food imports recorded higher values in the second quarter, with household-oriented products experiencing particularly strong growth.
The Import Bill Remains Large Despite the Decline
The 3.1 per cent decline from H1 2025 is important because it shows that Nigeria’s food import spending did not increase year-on-year during the first half of 2026.
However, the broader trend remains significant.
Nigeria spent ₦7.65 trillion on food and beverage imports in 2025, compared with ₦6.58 trillion in 2024. The figure was ₦3.83 trillion in 2023 and ₦2.86 trillion in 2022.
The value of imports is influenced by several factors, including the volume of products imported, international prices and movements in the naira exchange rate.
This means that a higher naira value does not automatically mean that Nigeria imported a larger physical quantity of food.
Still, the figures show the amount of money flowing into the food import market and underline the importance of strengthening domestic production and the systems that support it.
Food Imports and the Cost of Food Security
The food import figures become more concerning when considered alongside Nigeria’s wider food-security situation.
Millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with access to sufficient and affordable food. The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that about 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the next lean season.
This creates a difficult contradiction.
Nigeria is spending trillions of naira on food imports while a significant number of households are struggling to afford food.
The issue is therefore not simply how much food Nigeria imports. It is also whether the country is building enough capacity to produce, process, store and distribute food domestically at prices that ordinary households can afford.
Food availability alone does not guarantee food security. If locally produced food is too expensive, gets lost after harvest or cannot move efficiently from farms to markets, households may still struggle to access it.
The Bigger Problem Is Beyond Farm Production
Reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported food cannot be achieved by simply telling farmers to produce more.
Farmers need access to affordable inputs, finance, irrigation, machinery, extension services, storage facilities, transportation and reliable markets.
Production costs also matter.
When farmers face high costs for seeds, fertilizer, labor, transportation and energy, the final cost of locally produced food can rise significantly. This can make imported alternatives more competitive in some segments of the market.
Post-harvest losses are another major concern.
Food that is produced but lost before reaching consumers does not contribute meaningfully to food security. Weak storage and transportation systems can turn increased agricultural production into waste, while farmers lose income and consumers continue to face high prices.
Processing capacity is equally important.
Nigeria may produce agricultural commodities domestically but still depend on imported processed food when local processing infrastructure is insufficient or unable to compete on cost and scale.
That makes investment across the entire food value chain essential.
What Nigeria Needs to Change
The latest import figures reinforce the need for a food-security strategy that goes beyond increasing farm output.
Nigeria needs stronger links between farmers, processors, distributors and consumers.
Investment in storage can help reduce losses and improve the availability of food outside harvest periods. Better roads and transportation systems can reduce the cost of moving agricultural produce from rural communities to urban markets.
More investment in processing can also help Nigeria retain more value from the agricultural products it already produces.
At the farm level, extension services remain important because farmers need access to practical information on improved production methods, climate adaptation, pest management and technology.
Access to finance is another major piece of the puzzle, particularly for smallholder farmers who may lack the resources required to expand production or invest in equipment.
The Goal Should Be a Stronger Domestic Food System
Nigeria does not necessarily need to eliminate food imports.
International trade will continue to play a role in meeting food demand, and some products or inputs may be more efficiently sourced from other countries.
The bigger concern is excessive dependence on imports for food that Nigeria has the potential to produce, process or add value to locally.
A stronger domestic food system would give Nigeria greater control over its food supply while creating opportunities for farmers, processors, logistics businesses and other players across the agricultural value chain.
It could also help reduce the vulnerability of consumers to global price shocks, exchange-rate movements and disruptions in international supply chains.
The ₦3.30 trillion spent on food and beverage imports in the first half of 2026 therefore tells only part of the story.
The more important question is what Nigeria can do with its agricultural potential to ensure that more of the food consumed by its population is produced efficiently, processed locally and moved through functioning markets.
For a country facing persistent food-security pressures, the long-term measure of progress should not only be how much food Nigeria imports or produces, but whether households can consistently access safe, nutritious and affordable food.
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