Nigeria’s agricultural imports fell by 8.5% year-on-year to N2.03 trillion in the first half of 2026, according to an analysis of the latest Foreign Trade Statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The decline suggests a reduction in the value of agricultural products brought into the country compared with the same period in 2025, when imports stood at N2.22 trillion.
The NBS figures show that agricultural imports were valued at N827.72 billion in the first quarter of 2026, before rising sharply to N1.20 trillion in Q2. This represents a 45.4% quarter-on-quarter increase, highlighting stronger import activity in the second quarter despite the overall year-on-year decline recorded for the first half.
Agricultural products accounted for 6.08% of Nigeria’s total imports in Q1 2026, compared with 6.71% in the corresponding period of 2025. Their share increased to 8.35% in Q2, slightly above the 7.75% recorded in Q2 2025. While the lower half-year import figure could point to improving domestic supply or changing import demand, the data alone does not confirm that local production has fully replaced imported agricultural products.
At the same time, Nigeria’s agricultural exports continued to record significant activity in the second quarter. Major exports included standard quality cocoa beans worth N154.31 billion, sesame seeds valued at N96.03 billion, superior quality cocoa beans at N58.82 billion and soya beans at N50.22 billion. Other notable agricultural exports included soya bean flours and meals, cut flowers, natural cocoa butter and crude shea oil, reinforcing the sector’s growing role in Nigeria’s non-oil trade.
Agriculture remains a major pillar of the Nigerian economy and one of the country’s biggest sources of employment. NBS data indicates that more than 25.3 million Nigerians were engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishing in 2023, representing 30.1% of the total workforce. With agricultural imports declining while exports of key commodities remain active, attention will increasingly turn to whether Nigeria can sustain domestic production, reduce dependence on imported food and strengthen agriculture as a major contributor to economic growth.
source: nairametrics
