Nigeria has emerged as the largest consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA).
The data was revealed at a press conference in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry.
In a statement on Sunday, the VDMA reported that Nigeria consumed more than 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024—far surpassing other African nations including Ghana and South Africa.
Despite persistent economic challenges such as inflation and currency devaluation, the country’s beverage market remains buoyant.
Factors such as population growth, urbanisation, and the rise of a middle class are fueling continued demand.
Bottled water continues to dominate Nigeria’s beverage landscape.
In 2024, sales reached 48.7 billion litres, with projections indicating a 27% increase to about 62 billion litres by 2028.
Carbonated drinks followed with 3.4 billion litres consumed, a figure expected to hit 4.4 billion litres within the next four years.
Meanwhile, energy drinks are predicted to grow by 30% over the same period. Though still a small category, juice consumption is also steadily rising.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding quickly due to increasing accessibility and affordability,” the VDMA noted, referencing insights from Euromonitor International.
Looking ahead to drinktec 2025, scheduled for September 15–19 in Munich, VDMA, a key technical partner and exhibitor at the event, confirmed high expectations for Nigerian representation, especially as the country eyes a path toward economic recovery.
