• Nigeria posted Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest net cereal deficit in 2023 at $2 billion
• Wheat and rice imports remain high despite local maize self-sufficiency
• South Africa reported a net cereal surplus of $170 million due to strong corn exports

Nigeria ranked as the top cereal importer in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, recording a net cereal deficit of $2 billion. This figure represented about 15 percent of the region’s total cereal deficit, which reached $13 billion, according to the World Bank’s latest report titled Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains.

As the second-largest cereal producer south of the Sahara, Nigeria’s growing needs for both human consumption and industrial use have driven an increase in imports over the last two decades. Although the country is nearly self-sufficient in maize—its most consumed and produced cereal—it maintains a substantial trade deficit in rice and wheat.

Urbanization and weak local production capacity have contributed to rising import volumes. Wheat, which ranks fourth in Nigeria’s cereal consumption behind maize, rice, and sorghum, remains the country’s most imported grain. Each year, Nigeria imports about 5 million tons of wheat, mainly from Russia, the European Union, and Canada, to supply its milling industry.

Rice imports also remain high. Despite public initiatives to boost domestic production of paddy and milled rice, Nigeria continues to import more than 2.4 million tons of rice annually.

In contrast, South Africa recorded a net cereal surplus of $170 million in 2023. Although the country imports all its rice and more than half of its wheat, it offsets these imports with large-scale corn exports. According to Trademap data, South Africa’s corn exports generate between $800 million and $1.2 billion per year.

Beyond Nigeria and South Africa, the World Bank estimates that seven African countries recorded cereal deficits exceeding $500 million in 2023. Another 24 countries had deficits ranging from $100 million to $500 million, while 17 countries recorded deficits of up to $100 million.