Nigeria’s expenditure on imported food and beverage products rose sharply to N7.65 trillion in 2025, underscoring the nation’s growing dependence on foreign food amid rising domestic demand and persistent structural challenges in agriculture.

According to the latest Foreign Trade Statistics report from the National Bureau of Statistics, these imports include both primary foodstuffs and processed items, serving industrial production as well as household consumption.

Nigeria’s 2025 food import bill was largely fueled by both primary and processed food products, serving industrial and household needs.

Primary food and beverage imports totaled N3.49 trillion, with N2.09 trillion primarily for industrial use and N1.40 trillion for household consumption.

Processed food and beverage imports reached N4.17 trillion, making up the largest share of the country’s total food import expenditure.

The data reveal that a significant share of Nigeria’s food imports serves as industrial inputs for food manufacturing, highlighting the reliance on imported raw materials to support the country’s food processing sector.

Nigeria’s food import spending has steadily risen over the past four years, highlighting the growing gap between domestic production and national consumption needs.

In 2024, the country spent N6.58 trillion on food and beverage imports.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that around 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity in the upcoming lean season.

It was earlier reported that the country’s food and beverage import bill reached N5.27 trillion in the first nine months of 2025.