USSEC advocates collaboration, technology to bridge Nigeria’s protein deficit

As Nigeria battles rising food prices and a widening animal protein deficit, leaders of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) have called for stronger collaboration with local stakeholders in Nigeria to address rising food prices and animal protein deficit in the country with technology transfer and workforce training.

Speaking during separate interviews at the USSEC & U.S. Soy Nigeria: Now Conference 2026, senior USSEC executives said Nigeria remains a strategic market due to its growing population, increasing demand for protein, and expanding livestock sector.

The officials emphasized that U.S. soybean exports are intended to complement, rather than replace, Nigeria’s domestic soybean production, while helping strengthen the country’s poultry, aquaculture, livestock, and feed industries.

What they are saying

Brent Babb, Executive Director of the Soy Excellence Center (SEC) for Sub-Saharan Africa at USSEC, said Nigeria’s growing population and relatively low per capita protein consumption are expected to drive higher demand for soybeans.

According to him, local soybean production is unlikely to keep pace with future demand, making imports necessary to complement domestic supply rather than replace it.

• “Over 60% of the U.S. soybean crop is exported worldwide. We’ve worked extensively in Asia and North Africa, and we see strong opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria as the regional leader,” Babb stated.
• “Population growth is driving demand, yet per capita protein consumption remains low. That gap creates a significant opportunity.
• “Nigeria grows soybeans, but as demand for consumption rises, more soybeans will need to be imported.”

Babb noted that Nigeria imported about 62,000 metric tonnes of U.S. soybeans in early 2025 after a six-year hiatus. He said the council expects local production and imports to grow simultaneously as demand from the poultry, aquaculture and livestock sectors increases.

More insights

Speaking separately, Cindy Pulskamp, a Director at the U.S. Soybean Export Council and United Soybean Board, said discussions with Nigerian stakeholders have focused on production practices, sustainability and reducing post-harvest losses.

Anne Meis, Chair of the Soy Excellence Center Global Advisory Panel, said more than 5,000 Nigerians have participated in the council’s training programmes since they were introduced, with over 1,200 people completing courses this year.

The executives also identified financing constraints, inflation and inconsistent supplies across the soybean value chain as key challenges limiting growth in Nigeria’s protein industry.

Get up to speed

Nigeria has been seeking to expand domestic soybean production even as exports of soybean products declined sharply in 2025.

• In July 2025, the Federal Government unveiled the National Soybean Production and Expansion Policy and Strategy, targeting N3.9 trillion in annual revenue and the creation of one million farm and off-farm jobs across 22 states and the FCT.

However, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed soybean products recorded some of the sharpest declines among Nigeria’s major agricultural exports in 2025, despite broader growth in non-oil exports.

• Raw soybeans (excluding seeds) posted exports worth N47.48 billion, representing a 62.08% year-on-year decline, while flours and meals of soybeans generated N94.92 billion, down 54.91% from 2024.

The declines contrasted with Nigeria’s overall non-oil export performance, which rose to N12.36 trillion in 2025, driven largely by agricultural commodities such as cocoa.

What you should know

While soybean exports weakened in 2025, the commodity rebounded in the first quarter of 2026 despite a broader slowdown in agricultural exports.

• According to the National Bureau of Statistics, agricultural exports fell 31.2% year-on-year to N1.17 trillion in Q1 2026 and declined 11.39% from N1.32 trillion recorded in Q4 2025.
• Despite the decline, unprocessed soybeans ranked as Nigeria’s third most exported agricultural product, with exports valued at N129.27 billion, accounting for 11.03% of total agricultural exports. India remained the largest destination, accounting for about 88% of shipments.

Meanwhile, agro-processed soybean derivatives ranked fifth, with exports worth N53.2 billion, representing 4.54% of total agricultural exports.

The rebound highlights continued export demand for Nigerian soybeans even as the U.S. soybean industry expects rising domestic consumption to increase the country’s import requirements over the longer term.