Nigeria’s Largest Brewer Begins Local Barley Cultivation to Cut Costly Imports

Nigeria’s beer industry may soon rely less on imports and more on local farms. Nigerian Breweries Plc, the country’s largest brewer, has started testing whether barley, a key ingredient in beer production, can be grown successfully in Nigeria.

The early results are encouraging. At Ringim in Jigawa State, the company recently presented the outcome of a pilot project under its Maltina Barley Programme which took place during the latest farming season, of which more than 1,000 smallholder farmers grew barley, producing an expected 1,000 tons.

Although this amount is still small compared with the country’s needs, it proves that barley can grow well in parts of northern Nigeria.

Nigeria’s brewing industry currently imports about 200,000 tons of malted barley every year, sending more than $150 million abroad. Growing barley locally could reduce these imports and help keep more value within the Nigerian economy.

“Our ambition is clear: to develop a barley value chain that is rooted in Nigerian soil, powered by Nigerian farmers, and capable of meeting the quality standards required by industry,” said Thibaut Boidin, managing director and chief executive officer of Nigerian Breweries. He added that government support and collaboration across the sector will be needed to make the plan succeed.

The company’s supply chain director, Federico Agressi, said building a strong barley industry in Nigeria will take time and steady effort from all stakeholders.

Research partnerships are already supporting the effort. Working with the Lake Chad Research Institute and Secobra Research, the company helped develop three high-yield barley varieties; Traveler, Explorer, and Prunella, which were registered in 2024.

Another study conducted with IDH named "The Sustainable Trade Initiative and Dalberg" found that more than 400,000 hectares of land in northern Nigeria are suitable for barley cultivation.

Nigerian Breweries plans to expand the programme to support about 20,000 farmers by 2030. However, growth will depend on stable policies, access to financing, and continued imports during the transition period while local production increases.

The initiative comes as the brewer recovers financially after recording heavy foreign exchange losses in 2024, the company returned to profit with N99.1 billion in net earnings last year and its revenue also rose to N1.5 trillion, the highest in its history.

Despite this recovery, imports still account for about 40 percent of the company’s input costs, making local sourcing an important goal.

For now, the barley farms in Jigawa State represent a small beginning but if the programme grows as planned, it could create new opportunities for farmers while helping Nigeria reduce costly imports.