Nigeria’s agricultural trade deficit has reached an estimated N2.5 trillion, and the country must move urgently from exporting raw farm produce to adding value and processing if it wants to reverse the gap, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation said on April 27, 2026.
Dr. Hussein Gadain, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, made the call during the Vanguard Economic Discourse in Lagos.
He said Nigeria’s agricultural sector is structurally strong but commercially weak, held back by limited investment in processing, storage, and export-ready value chains.
“Reversing the deficit will require deliberate policy action that prioritises value addition, private sector participation, and export diversification across key agricultural commodities,” Gadain said.
Nigeria ranks as the fifth-largest food importer in Africa. Between 2021 and 2023, the country imported an average of nearly $5.59 billion in food products annually, according to a 2025 UNCTAD report. Major imports include wheat, rice, edible oils, and sugar.
Mr Gadain called for accelerated investments in agro-processing infrastructure, stronger linkages between farmers, industries, and global markets, and improved competitiveness of Nigerian agricultural exports.
