₦airaland Forum

The World Bank yesterday said Nigeria recorded a $2 billion trade deficit in cereal in 2023.

The World Bank disclosed this in a Report titled: “Transport connectivity for food security in Africa, Strengthening supply chains”.


The report, which examines how four major staples: cassava, maize, rice, and wheat, move across the continent noted that Africa’s agricultural supply chains are strained from the local level to the national, regional, and global levels.

“In 2023, the net cereal trade balance picture varied widely across the continent, with the two largest economies at opposite ends: Nigeria had a negative balance of $2 billion, and South Africa had a net positive balance of $170 million. “Seven countries had negative balances of more than $500 million, 24 had negative balances of $100–$500 million, and 17 countries had negative balances of up to $100 million.


“The region had a negative balance of more than $13 billion on cereals alone.”

World Bank report also stated that Nigeria which is among the largest consumer and major producers of rice still have a spatial mismatch between production and

consumption, for which an efficient transport system is needed to move food around.

“About half of the rice consumed in Sub-Saharan Africa is grown in Africa, and the other half is imported. Many of the largest consumers, such as Nigeria and Tanzania, are also major producers.

“Although some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are self-sufficient in rice at the national level (e.g., the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and


Tanzania), they still have a spatial mismatch between production and consumption, for which an efficient transport system is needed to move food around.

“For example, central Nigeria produces more rice than it consumes; the surplus is transported to the north and south of the country.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/05/nigeria-records-2bn-trade-deficit-in-cereal-world-bank-report/

Deficit again.

iwaeda:
Deficit again.

What do you expect.... when we are asked to stick to made in Nigeria rice we said no, it's the fine looking but not nutritional foreign ones we want.

Can any good news come out of this administration?

Wahala

Watch the wasteside chest beaters attack Obi now

For example, central Nigeria produces more rice than it consumes; the surplus is transported to the north and south of the country.”

what state in central Nigeria produce more rice than it consumes!! this is just number games. Un-substantive report.

$2b deficit? Our saving grace is removal subsidy,if not with insecurity affecting farmers, we would have been in serious problem as a nation.

If government can focus on agriculture alone, we will be fine in this country.

datola:


What do you expect.... when we are asked to stick to made in Nigeria rice we said no, it's the fine looking but not nutritional foreign ones we want.

Common packaging is a problem and you talking about made in Nigeria

This explains why hunger persists despite local production.
It’s not just about growing food, but moving it efficiently. Nigeria's $2B cereal deficit is alarming, especially when we’re a top rice producer.
We need serious investment in rural roads, storage, effective rail system and logistics.
Agriculture without infrastructure dey like cooking without fire.

Lord have mercy on Nigeria 🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬

datola:


What do you expect.... when we are asked to stick to made in Nigeria rice we said no, it's the fine looking but not nutritional foreign ones we want.

Even the Nigeria rice is not available

Thanks to Bandits and Herdsman...

Note I am a rice farmer..

ignis:
Can any good news come out of this administration?

This is not about administration.. this is for you and I bro.. when last did u patronise made in Nigeria. If federal government close borders today, na me and u go first come to social media and insult government. How many of us use Nigeria made cars. We only love Node, geely, innoson for mouth but we never patronise them. We all prefer to buy ordinary recharge card online than local vendors.

Truth is expensive

234GT:
If government can focus on agriculture alone, we will be fine in this country.

Agriculture...Processing and Packaging

Not only Agric...

For a nation with fertile land where the likes of maize, wheat, sorghum etc can grow, this is absolute madness

That's not bad... Honestly I feel if we allow. Maize and soy import without duty

Our poultry can become globally coming in price

Right now
Global average is 750 dollars per ton
Nigeria does about 3000 dollars per ton

World Nank pls stop disturbing our peace with your uneccessary negativ news.

Seriously we don't care. Go to Sudan,vYemen, Afghanistan, Chencheya, Somalia, Syria they neeed you more there than Nigeria ok.

Anything you World Bank want to says we don't care and that wont stop us to vote Tinubu again and again and again because the way World Bank all the time posting negative news about Nigeria it now look like opposition handwork but it won't Stand.

OkCornel:
For a nation with fertile land where the likes of maize, wheat, sorghum etc can grow, this is absolute madness

Can you grow them? Yes
Can you grow them at a competitive price no

A machine can plant 20,000 acres in 1 month

To grow maize competitively you need money large amount of money that 99.99999% of Nigerian farmers dont have

And America subsidies their farmers so they dominate that crop

So why not look for value addition instead of competition in a field you can never win

Heavensake1:
$2b deficit? Our saving grace is removal subsidy,if not with insecurity affecting farmers, we would have been in serious problem as a nation.

Please abeg,ejoor, bikonu
Elaborate

Heavensake1:
$2b deficit? Our saving grace is removal subsidy,if not with insecurity affecting farmers, we would have been in serious problem as a nation.

Please abeg,ejoor, bikonu
Elaborate
I need to understand this statement

.soy, maize and infact grains are animal feeds.

If we have industrial farming with access to farm and security or government back loans.

The repayment should not be money but instead a number of bags or kg for the farming products.

Example: government partners with bank to loan farmers 100m each. The farmer repay back with bags of rice if the loans is intended for rice and casava if for yam.

If it's for yam loan, the farmers repay with certain kg of yam as agreed in the collateral loan document.

Then the bank and government resell the produce to marketers for a certain price across the country.

The marketee sell them to animal feed processing company and market women for food.

Food will be cheap. Trust me.

Government and bank can do it true collateral loans money for product within certain year. It's not rocket science. Stop dashing money to farmer under the farmer policy and most of them are political farmer not actual farmer. And faud under the name of subsidy.

Who is ready to farm should receive a loan and repay the loan with the yield product even if will take 2 or 3 years to finally pay instalment.

The food price can easily be fixed and controlled across the country.


Let assume 2k of yam is selling for 5k.

And you are give out a 20k as a collateral loan to a farmer to farms 10kg of. That money can only get to a real farmer. Because if you are not a farmer how do you repay 10kg yam with 20k loan when 2kg selling for 5k. If you didn’t farm and decided to go buy later from the market you will be at a lose.

Chai! While Trump want to waste 175billion dollars to produce missile shield

Have you ever been in Surplus before in the creation of Nigeria ?!

iwaeda:
Deficit again.

Willie2015:
Even the Nigeria rice is not available

Thanks to Bandits and Herdsman...

Note I am a rice farmer..

This is what the supporters of this government have refused to talk about.

Phabulous4:
For example, central Nigeria produces more rice than it consumes; the surplus is transported to the north and south of the country.”

what state in central Nigeria produce more rice than it consumes!! this is just number games. Un-substantive report.

Benue State

When Tinubu Opened Borders to Importation of Grains. Something Buhari Locked.

It is a very bad policy especially interms of our food security.

The other day they said people died from consuming imported Rice.

You can never die eating Nigerian Grown Rice.

wHERE aRE wE aGAIN oN tHE GMO cORN?

aGBADO aNYONE?

234GT:
If government can focus on agriculture alone, we will be fine in this country.

if we can focus on controlling our population, we will be fine in this country

hahaha bt Nigeria is rice Republic... with all d billions put into the rice palliative, d world Bank Director must be Igbo.