Onome Amuge
JoEllen Gorg, acting U.S. consul general (right) with Honore Comfort, vice president for international marketing at the California Wine Institute, at the wine tasting event organised by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Mission in collaboration with the California Wine Institute in Lagos.
U.S. wine exports to Nigeria rose 65 percent in 2024, hitting a record value of $7.8 million and solidifying Nigeria’s position as the top African market for American wines.
JoEllen Gorg, the acting U.S. consul general, made the disclosure at a recent 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 saw 18 California wineries connect with the Nigerian business community, aimed at strengthening agricultural trade ties between the two countries.
More than 160 award-winning California wines, from crisp whites to bold reds, were showcased during a wine tasting event attended by over 120 Nigerian wine importers, distributors, retailers, hospitality industry stakeholders, and wine lovers who discussed the growing market potential for U.S. wines in Nigeria.
In addition to the wine tasting experience, the California Wine Institute organised a specialised seminar for local wine importers and leading Nigeria restaurateurs, highlighting opportunities for mutually beneficial trade.
Gorg noted that the growing demand for U.S wine in Africa’s most populous country, underscored the pivotal role of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Mission in expanding U.S.-Nigeria agricultural trade.
“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 said.
Also speaking 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 organisation of California wineries. The 2025 Africa Tasting Tour is a trade mission organised 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.
Staffed with dedicated agri-business specialists, the Foreign Agricultural Service helps Nigerian agri-businesses to scale their business profitability by connecting them to U.S. exporters of new and competitive agricultural and food solutions that can help them evolve in a rapidly changing business environment.
