- Rountable will help share Agricultural Trade Policy insights and recommendations
The U.S. Mission’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office in Lagos today September 25, 2025 began a two-day “Discussion Roundtable on Innovative Approaches to Agricultural Trade for Economic Growth and Food Security.”
The Rountable is being organised by the U.S. Mission’s FAS in partnership with the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce’s (NACC) Kaduna Chapter and the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG).
According to a statement by the U.S. Mission in Abuja, “the event was attended by Nigerian agricultural trade policy advisors, legislator representatives, agribusiness leaders, researchers, regulators, and U.S. agricultural trade
associations.
“The discussions focused on the impacts of Nigeria’s agricultural trade restrictions on food prices, local production, and investment. Experts presented on innovative approaches to agricultural trade that have successfully been used in other countries and could be adapted in Nigeria to support its economic growth and food security goals.
“The event featured the presentation of Nigerian-led research conducted in consultation with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) on the impact of Nigeria’s agricultural trade restrictions on food prices, local production, and value-added processing.
“Key findings from the NIPSS research highlighted the adverse effects of agricultural trade restrictions, including increasing food prices for consumers, shifting trade to informal channels which reduce government revenues and decrease food safety oversight, and a lack of regulatory clarity for Nigerian agribusinesses engaged in trade.
“Recommendations included adjusting trade restrictions to ensure long-term stability of food prices and raw material availability. Experts presented case studies of innovative agricultural trade practices, such as tariff rate quotas and a private-sector led export trading company mechanism that transparently values and distributes the financial benefits of an import quota to domestic stakeholders for scientific, educational, or promotional programs.”
During the event, Matthew Obogbaimhe, Chairman of NACC’s Kaduna Chapter, shared that “Revitalizing Nigeria’s agricultural sector requires more than trade restrictions; it demands innovation, sustainable practices, and investment in infrastructure. This vision is why the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce chose to partner with FAS to drive agricultural innovation and trade across Africa.”
“The roundtable provided a unique platform to exchange ideas and explore innovative agricultural trade policies that benefit the consumers and farmers from Nigeria and the United States,” said Christopher Bielecki, Agricultural Counselor for the FAS office in Lagos. “By fostering dialogue, we discussed innovative solutions to strengthen agricultural trade, reduce costs for agribusinesses and consumers, and drive prosperity for American and Nigerian farmers.
NABG Director General, Jafar Umar, noted “As the leading voice of agribusiness in Nigeria, we believe this roundtable is both timely and highly relevant to the national discourse on advancing trade and strengthening food security. We are happy to partner with FAS on this important initiative, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration through many more impactful engagements in the future.”
The statement noted that “the U.S. Mission’s Foreign Agricultural Service office in Lagos looks forward to continued
collaboration with the Government of Nigeria and agribusiness stakeholders to translate the Roundtable’s recommendations into action. By working together to advance innovative agricultural trade policies, the United States and Nigeria can foster greater food security, create opportunities for valued-added processing, investment, and strengthen trade for our agricultural sectors.”
FACT SHEET:
Key Findings and Policy Recommendations from NIPSS Research Nigeria’s agricultural trade restrictions have led to higher food prices, increased informal trade, and production inefficiencies, failing to achieve self-sufficiency. Food inflation surged to 30.6% in 2023, with staples like rice and beef more than doubling in price over two years. For example, the price of 1kg of local rice rose by 137.32% year-on-year in October 2024, while boneless beef increased by 98.73%.
Production challenges persist, including a maize production gap of an estimated 300,000 metric tons (mt) annually and low yields of 2.0 tons per hectare (t/ha), far below South Africa’s 5.2 t/ha. Informal trade has grown, particularly for rice and poultry, as high tariffs and import bans incentivize cross-border informal trade despite government efforts like the 2019 border closure.
Policy recommendations include reducing agricultural import bans and tariffs, favoring longer-term predictable duty and tariff policies, harmonizing trade policies and sanitary and phytosanitary regulations through frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and establishing a centralized body to oversee agricultural trade regulations to increase official trade, sanitary phytosanitary oversight, and government revenue.
Case Studies on Innovative Approaches to Agricultural Trade Global case studies demonstrate how strategic policy changes can complement domestic production and improve food security:
Beef and Pork: Case studies from Mexico, Central America, Colombia, South Korea, and South Africa show that reducing import tariffs and bans can boost domestic production and exports. For example, Colombia’s elimination of pork import duties led to a 146% increase in domestic production. Despite importing beef offals (e.g., liver), South Africa is the continent’s top beef producer beef producer, with production increasing by 19% from 852,000 mt in 2012 to 1,040 mt in 2024, and exports valued at $225 million.
Poultry: The United States entered into an agreement with six Central American countries to use an in-quota distribution and auctions administered by an Export Trading Company (ETC) formed under U.S. law, and under the direction of representatives of the various poultry associations.
Under the provisions of the ETC charter, a portion of the sales proceeds according to a pre-set formula, is
reinvested to domestic producer associations for scientific, educational, or promotional programs. From 2006 to 2022, these proceeds totaled nearly $37 million.
Feed Ingredients: Nigeria faces a challenge of low protein consumption per capita at only 45.4 grams per person per day, compared to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s minimum recommended intake of 60 grams. Initiatives like the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s Soy Excellence Center in Ibadan, Oyo state, has trained more than 4,000
professionals across aquaculture, poultry, feed milling, and swine learning tracks. To meet feed and protein demand, Nigeria imported 62,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans after a six-year hiatus.