NIGERIA’s reliance on foreign food supplies continues to surge despite government-backed agricultural initiatives, as the country spent a staggering $2.39 billion on food imports between April 2024 and March 2025.
News Point Nigeria reports that this represents an 11.6% increase from the $2.14 billion recorded in the preceding year, according to a fresh breakdown of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s sectoral foreign exchange allocation obtained on Friday.
The rise in import dependence comes at a time when Nigeria is battling severe food insecurity — with the cost of basic staples soaring and millions of families struggling to access adequate nutrition.
Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly raised alarms over the worsening nutrition crisis, especially in conflict-impacted regions of the North.
A recent report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) described the humanitarian situation in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY states) as a “worsening nutrition emergency,” driven by: Ongoing insurgency and displacement, rising food insecurity, weak health systems and limited access to essential nutrition services.
Children under five remain the most vulnerable, with increased cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).
The CBN data showed varying monthly forex expenditure on food:
April 2023 – March 2024 (Total: $2.14bn)
Highest: $303.91m (Feb 2024)
Lowest: $57.91m (July 2023)
April 2024 – March 2025 (Total: $2.39bn)
Highest: $275.04m (Aug 2024)
Lowest: $141.30m (Mar 2025)
Economists say the fluctuations reflect currency volatility, insecurity in major farming zones, and supply shortages in local production.
Despite reforms introduced to stabilize the economy, the CBN warns the food import trend is unsustainable.
Stakeholders further argue that without urgent improvements in agricultural financing, rural security, and input supply, Nigeria will struggle to feed its fast-growing population, now over 220 million.
Meanwhile, advocacy groups say the country’s rising food bill paints a worrying picture: even as billions are spent on imports, hunger continues to worsen.