U.S. SHOWCASES CALIFORNIA WINES, EXPANDS TRADE OPPORTUNITIES IN NIGERIA

The Acting U.S. Consul General, JoEllen Gorg, says Nigeria is the largest market in Africa for US wines, with exports valued at $7.8 million in 2024; an increase of 65% FROM 2023. Gorg also underscored the pivotal role of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Mission in expanding U.S.-Nigeria agricultural trade. She spoke at a trade promotion event in Lagos organised by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Mission in collaboration with the California Wine Institute. The event brought together 18 California wineries with the Nigerian business community, with a view to strengthen agricultural trade ties between the two countries. It also featured a wine tasting event, which featured more than 160 award-winning California wines, from crisp whites to bold reds, with over 120 Nigerian wine importers, distributors, retailers, hospitality industry stakeholders, and wine lovers in attendance. In addition to the wine tasting experience, the California Wine Institute organized a specialized seminar for local wine importers and leading Nigeria restaurateurs, highlighting opportunities for mutually beneficial trade.  In his remarks, the Acting Consul General said: “The United States is proud to offer the highest quality products to consumers around the world. California wines represent some of the best in the world.” “Home to over 5,000 wineries, most of them family-owned, multi-generational businesses, California makes over 80 per cent of U.S. wine and ranks the 4th among world’s wine producers.” She added. Also at the event, Honore Comfort, Vice President for International Marketing at the California Wine Institute, explained that the trade promotion event was an opportunity to showcase the diversity and quality of California wines that have earned an excellent reputation globally.  “We are excited to kick off our 2025 Africa Tasting Tour in Lagos to increase knowledge of and interest in California wines across the continent,” Comfort added. The California Wine Institute is the trade organization of California wineries. The 2025 Africa Tasting Tour is a trade mission organized with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In addition to Lagos, the Africa tour includes stops in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape Town, South Africa. The Foreign Agricultural Service is the overseas arm of the United States Department of Agriculture offering a variety of services to American and Nigerian agribusiness companies and government and non-government entities involved in agricultural trade and development.