Nigeria's expenditure on food and beverage imports reached N3.30 trillion in the first half of 2026, based on Nairametrics' review of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Foreign Trade Statistics reports for the first and second quarters.
The six-month bill climbed from N1.39 trillion in the first quarter to N1.91 trillion in the second quarter, reflecting a sharp rise in import spending within the period. Even so, the half-year total was 3.1 percent below the N3.40 trillion recorded in H1 2025, when quarterly spending stood at N1.67 trillion and N1.73 trillion respectively.
Primary food and beverage imports accounted for N1.58 trillion of the H1 2026 total, comprising N634.05 billion in Q1 and N948.42 billion in Q2. Primary products mainly for household consumption reached N811.93 billion, rising from N280.81 billion in Q1 to N531.12 billion in Q2, while primary products mainly used by industry totalled N770.54 billion, made up of N353.24 billion in Q1 and N417.31 billion in Q2.
Processed food and beverage imports were higher at N1.72 trillion, increasing from N758.52 billion in Q1 to N956.67 billion in Q2. Within this segment, processed products mainly for industry came to N780.42 billion, and processed products mainly for household consumption stood at N934.78 billion.
The quarterly increase therefore spanned both primary and processed food categories, with household-focused imports showing particularly strong growth in the second quarter.
The latest data follows an annual food and beverage import bill of N7.65 trillion in 2025, up from N6.58 trillion in 2024, N3.83 trillion in 2023 and N2.86 trillion in 2022. Naira-denominated import values have been shaped by import volumes, international prices and exchange-rate movements, keeping the category a significant part of Nigeria's external trade account.
The rising bill coincides with persistent food-security pressures. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that about 34.7 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity during the next lean season, reinforcing concerns over household food access.
Policymakers are placing greater emphasis on domestic production, storage, processing and distribution capacity to reduce reliance on imported food. In March, the Federal Government introduced a new chicken breed and 57 crop varieties aimed at boosting food security, raising production and improving nutritional outcomes. Farmers in the North-Central and North-West have also urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and state authorities to prioritise smallholder farmers in 2026 budget plans, citing rising production costs, insecurity and post-harvest losses.
