A bulk carrier loaded with 50,000 metric tonnes of U.S.-grown wheat, valued at about US$15 million, docked at Apapa Port in Lagos this Monday, signalling a deepening agricultural partnership between the United States and Nigeria.
At the port, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), one of the country’s largest food-processing firms, formally received the shipment. The arrival was witnessed by the US Consul General in Lagos, Rick Swart, and U.S. Agricultural Counsellor, Chris Bielecki, who joined Nigerian port officials during the unloading process.
According to the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, this consignment underscores Nigeria’s status as the third-largest global market for American wheat exports.
The shipment arrives amid broader trends of expanding grain imports. Data from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggest that U.S. wheat exports to Nigeria have surged in 2025 — driven by competitive pricing, relative stability in foreign-exchange rates, and growing demand by Nigerian millers.
As of mid-2025, imports of wheat into Nigeria are projected to reach 6.7 million tonnes in the 2025/26 marketing year — a notable increase compared with previous years.
Industry stakeholders say shipments like this one will bolster domestic food processing, support job creation, and provide Nigerian consumers with access to reliable and high-quality wheat for flour, bread, pasta, and other staples — especially as local production continues to meet only a fraction of nationwide demand.
The U.S.–Nigeria agricultural partnership is thus being cast as a strategic axis not only for commercial trade but for wider food security and industrial value-addition. According to estimates from U.S. officials, the bilateral agricultural trade between the two countries is on track to exceed US$700 million in 2025.
