Alcoholic beer market in Nigeria

Earlier Report Observations

The Nigerian alcoholic beer market began the period with significant activity in 2018 as Nigerian Breweries Plc introduced Budweiser and Tiger lager beers to the premium segment, accompanied by ongoing factory construction to meet demand. Market volume held steady at around 1 794 million liters in 2018 and 1 786 million liters in 2019, before rising to 1 874 million liters in 2020.

After the 2020 peak, market volume declined to 1 762 million liters in 2021. A temporary recovery to 1 812 million liters occurred in 2022, but 2023 saw a drop to 1 709 million liters. This decrease coincided with high inflation, which reached 22.79% early in the year, leading brewers to raise prices and dampen consumer demand. The period also saw the emergence of more affordable beer varieties, altering the market's composition.

In 2024, the market environment remained challenging with inflation exceeding 33%, prompting further price adjustments. Nigerian Breweries reported record revenue, fueled by product innovation like the re-launched Life Beer and its acquisition of Distell Nigeria, reflecting a strategic pivot towards premium segments and category diversification.

Production alcoholic beer in Nigeria

In kind, 2017-2020, M l

Between 2017 and 2020, Nigeria ranked as the 25th largest producer of alcoholic beer worldwide.

Top producers of alcoholic beer, 2017-2020

World map of production of alcoholic beer, 2017-2020

In 2020, Nigeria produced 1 880 million liters of alcoholic beer, marking a modest year-over-year increase of 4.4%. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, production grew by 7.4%, which translates to an average annual growth rate of 2.4%. The most stable year was 2019, with production remaining essentially unchanged.

Annual dynamics of production in Nigeria in kind, 2017-2020, M l

Exports alcoholic beer from Nigeria

Exports in kind, K l

The export data shows significant volatility, reflecting an unstable market environment. Exports reached their highest point in 2019 at 13 862 thousand liters, then dropped sharply to 6 294 thousand liters in 2020, representing a 54.6% decline from the previous year. This resulted in a 2.2-fold difference between the peak in 2019 and the low in 2020. The largest year-over-year increase occurred in 2019, with a jump of 114.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Nigeria in kind, 2017-2020, K l

From 2017 to 2020, the United Kingdom, Cameroon, and Guinea-Bissau were the top buyers of Nigerian alcoholic beer in volume terms. The United Kingdom accounted for 52.4% of exports, Cameroon for 21.5%, and Guinea-Bissau for 9.4%. Together, these three markets made up 83.4% of Nigeria's total beer exports by volume.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Nigeria in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

In 2020, the value of alcoholic beer exports from Nigeria was 4 451 thousand US dollars, a significant drop of 18.7% compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, exports decreased by 29.2%, with a compound annual growth rate of -10.9%. The lowest value was recorded in 2018 at 3 479 thousand US dollars, which saw the largest decline of 44.7%. In contrast, 2019 experienced the biggest increase, with exports rising by 57.4%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Nigeria in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the United Kingdom and Cameroon were the leading destinations for Nigerian alcoholic beer exports in value terms, jointly representing 89.3% of total export value. The remaining 10.7% was distributed among various smaller markets.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Nigeria in value, 2017-2020

Imports alcoholic beer to Nigeria

Imports in kind, K l

Import volumes exhibited high volatility during this period. Imports peaked in 2017 and hit their lowest point in 2018 at 1 thousand liters, resulting in a 55-fold difference between these years. In 2020, Nigeria imported approximately 3 thousand liters of alcoholic beer, a decrease of 5.9% from 2019. The largest decline occurred in 2018, with a drop of 98.2%, while the biggest increase was in 2019, with a surge of 263.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Nigeria in kind, 2017-2020, K l

From 2017 to 2020, the United States was the primary source for alcoholic beer imports into Nigeria in volume terms, accounting for 70.6% of total imports. The remaining 29.4% was shared among several smaller markets.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Nigeria in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Market performance showed notable fluctuations over these years. Imports reached their highest value in 2017 and their lowest in 2018 at 1 thousand US dollars, creating a 68-fold variation. In 2020, Nigeria's alcoholic beer imports totaled 11 thousand US dollars, a sharp increase of 237.7% compared to the previous year. The largest decline was in 2018, with a fall of 98.5%, while the largest increase was in 2019, with a rise of 277.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Nigeria in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During 2017-2020, the United States and China were the dominant sources for Nigeria's alcoholic beer imports in value terms. The United States contributed 64.3% of total import value, and China accounted for 17.9%, together making up 82.3% of imports. Other partners accounted for the remaining 17.7%.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Nigeria in value, 2017-2020