The Nigeria food import bill fell to $2.34bn in 2025, down from $2.53bn the previous year, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The drop of about $186.4m represents a year-on-year decline of 7.37 per cent in the foreign exchange spent bringing food into the country.
The figures point to a country still leaning on imported food, but spending less of its scarce dollars to do so. For policymakers pushing local production, the slide is a modest sign that the balance may be shifting.
What the Nigeria food import bill numbers show
Beyond the headline figure, the more striking change is food’s shrinking share of total foreign exchange use. Food-related imports made up just 4.97 per cent of total forex utilisation in 2025, down sharply from 9.49 per cent the year before. In other words, dollars spent on food nearly halved as a slice of the whole.
That shift was driven partly by a surge in overall forex demand. Total foreign exchange utilisation jumped about 77 per cent, climbing from $26.65bn to $47.17bn over the 12 months. As the economy moved more dollars overall, the slice going to food shrank even though the raw amount fell only modestly.
Month-by-month spending
The CBN data shows uneven monthly demand. Food importers accessed $229.70m in July and $175.55m in August, before utilisation climbed sharply to $248.60m in September, the highest monthly level recorded during the year. Spending then eased to $193.05m in October and $185.45m in November, before rising again to $245.86m in December.
Those swings reflect seasonal buying, festive-period demand and the timing of large shipments rather than a steady month-to-month trend. Taken together, they still add up to a lighter annual bill than 2024.
Why the lower bill matters
Nigeria has long imported staples such as wheat, rice and dairy to plug gaps in local supply. Every dollar sent abroad for food is a dollar not available for machinery, medicine or other priorities, so trimming the bill eases pressure on the naira and the wider economy.
Government officials have repeatedly framed cutting food imports as a national goal, tying it to security, jobs and self-reliance. A falling bill suggests either improved local output, weaker purchasing power, or both working together. The truth is likely a mix, and the data alone does not settle which factor weighs heaviest.
Caution behind the figures
Farmers and analysts have urged caution. Some warn that a lower import bill can mask real strain, including high food prices at home and insecurity that keeps farmers off their land. Producers have repeatedly linked weak harvests to attacks in farming communities and called for better protection so domestic supply can actually replace imports.
For now, the direction of travel is encouraging on paper. The Nigeria food import bill is lower, food’s forex footprint is smaller, and the conversation is shifting toward whether local farms can sustain the gains. Whether that holds will depend on harvests, security and the value of the naira in the months ahead. Sustained progress would mean cheaper, steadier food at home and a lighter call on Nigeria’s hard-won dollars.
