Palm oil imports in Nigeria
Nigeria: Palm oil imports was 1.13 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.13 million tonnes
Change on year
up 26.2%
World rank
11th
of 190 countries
All-time high
1.65 million tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Palm oil imports in Nigeria, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2023, palm oil imports in Nigeria stood at 1.13 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.2% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palm oil imports in Nigeria peaked at 1.65 million tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1961.
That places Nigeria 11th out of 190 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Palm oil imports in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1963 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1964 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1965 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1966 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1967 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1968 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1969 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1970 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1971 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1972 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1973 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1974 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1975 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1976 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1977 | 1,000 tonnes | — |
| 1978 | 7,000 tonnes | +600.0% |
| 1979 | 17,000 tonnes | +142.9% |
| 1980 | 54,000 tonnes | +217.6% |
| 1981 | 102,000 tonnes | +88.9% |
| 1982 | 153,000 tonnes | +50.0% |
| 1983 | 138,000 tonnes | -9.8% |
| 1984 | 83,000 tonnes | -39.9% |
| 1985 | 73,000 tonnes | -12.0% |
| 1986 | 180,000 tonnes | +146.6% |
| 1987 | 21,000 tonnes | -88.3% |
| 1988 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1989 | 1,000 tonnes | — |
| 1990 | 1,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1,000 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6,000 tonnes | +500.0% |
| 1993 | 10,000 tonnes | +66.7% |
| 1994 | 43,000 tonnes | +330.0% |
| 1995 | 3,000 tonnes | -93.0% |
| 1996 | 117,000 tonnes | +3800.0% |
| 1997 | 119,000 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 83,000 tonnes | -30.3% |
| 1999 | 92,000 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2000 | 104,000 tonnes | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 170,000 tonnes | +63.5% |
| 2002 | 213,000 tonnes | +25.3% |
| 2003 | 194,000 tonnes | -8.9% |
| 2004 | 269,000 tonnes | +38.7% |
| 2005 | 311,000 tonnes | +15.6% |
| 2006 | 407,000 tonnes | +30.9% |
| 2007 | 601,000 tonnes | +47.7% |
| 2008 | 713,000 tonnes | +18.6% |
| 2009 | 745,000 tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 780,000 tonnes | +4.7% |
| 2011 | 855,000 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 2012 | 903,000 tonnes | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 1.20 million tonnes | +32.3% |
| 2014 | 1.65 million tonnes | +37.7% |
| 2015 | 1.41 million tonnes | -14.2% |
| 2016 | 1.15 million tonnes | -18.4% |
| 2017 | 1.46 million tonnes | +26.6% |
| 2018 | 1.23 million tonnes | -16.0% |
| 2019 | 1.28 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 1.22 million tonnes | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 1.14 million tonnes | -6.5% |
| 2022 | 896,000 tonnes | -21.7% |
| 2023 | 1.13 million tonnes | +26.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 1.13 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54,000 tonnes, 20.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 1.13 million tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 56,000 tonnes, 20.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Palm oil imports in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +3800.0% | 3,000 tonnes | 117,000 tonnes |
| 1978 | +600.0% | 1,000 tonnes | 7,000 tonnes |
| 1992 | +500.0% | 1,000 tonnes | 6,000 tonnes |
| 1994 | +330.0% | 10,000 tonnes | 43,000 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,500 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 17,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 80,500 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 180,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 47,500 tonnes | 1,000 tonnes | 119,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 372,700 tonnes | 104,000 tonnes | 745,000 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.19 million tonnes | 780,000 tonnes | 1.65 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.10 million tonnes | 896,000 tonnes | 1.22 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More energy & mining data for Nigeria
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 2.96 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 38.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palm oil imports in Nigeria?
- Palm oil imports in Nigeria was 1.13 million tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest palm oil imports recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 1.65 million tonnes in 2014.
- What is the lowest palm oil imports recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for palm oil imports?
- Nigeria ranks 11th out of 190 countries with data for 2023.
- Is palm oil imports rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Palm oil imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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