Nigeria’s food imports from Russia leap 85% YoY
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria imported N39.68 billion food items from Russia in 2022, an 85 per cent rise on 2021 figures, says the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its latest data.
NBS Foreign Trade report shows total imports from Russia rose to N21.84 billion in the second quarter of 2022 (Q2 2022), a great leap from N8.98 billion in Q1 2022.
Only N1.71 billion worth of goods was imported from Russia in Q3 2022, a decline of 92.17 per cent from N21.84 billion in Q2 2022.
Nigeria imported N7.15bn worth of goods from Russia in Q4 2022, an increase of 318.13 per cent on Q3 2022.
The country shipped in N6.27 billion herrings and N2.77 billion blue whiting from Russia in Q1 2021 as well as N13.39 billion blue whitings, N7.21 billion herrings, and N1.25 billion malt in Q1 2022, according to the NBS.
A total N1.19 billion jack and horse mackerel and N517.90 million sulphur was imported from that country in Q3 2022, and N1.73 billion mackerel and N5.42 billion herrings in Q4 2022.
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Warning about reliance on Russian imports
Akpan Ekpo, a Professor of economics and public policy at the University of Uyo, had speculated last year that if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine persisted, Nigeria’s imports from the two countries might be affected, per The PUNCH.
He said this would likely lead to inflation and more hardship.
“If Nigeria can’t import wheat anymore or other products that we import from Russia due to sanctions, it is very likely like the prices of products made from wheat or with wheat will rise in the medium to long term,” Ekpo warned.
“This, of course, will increase inflation and create more hardship for the average Nigerian.”
Ekpo stressed the need for Nigeria to boost domestic wheat production to meet local demand and for export.
However, more than a year into the war, Russia remains Nigeria’s top supplier of fish, particularly herrings, blue whiting, and mackerel.
But import from Ukraine seems to be significantly affected as the NBS report has no record of it.
Aliyu Ilias, a development economist, argued Nigeria has to increase its imports from Russia, a major trading partner.
