Nigeria’s soft drinks and beverage market continues to show impressive growth, solidifying its position as the largest consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA).
In a statement shared with Sunday PUNCH during a press briefing in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, VDMA revealed that Nigeria consumed over 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024—far surpassing other regional markets such as Ghana and South Africa.
Despite economic hurdles like inflation and a depreciating naira, demand in the beverage sector remains robust, driven by Nigeria’s expanding population, rapid urbanization, and a growing middle class.
Bottled water dominated the market in 2024, accounting for 48.7 billion litres in sales. This figure is projected to grow by 27%, reaching 62 billion litres by 2028. Following closely were carbonated soft drinks, with 3.4 billion litres consumed, expected to hit 4.4 billion litres in the same period. Energy drinks are also on a sharp upward trend, with a projected 30% growth by 2028, while juices, though still a smaller segment, are steadily gaining traction.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding rapidly, thanks to improved accessibility and affordability,” VDMA noted, citing research from Euromonitor International.
Drinktec 2025, the world’s premier trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry, is set to take place in Munich from September 15 to 19, 2025. VDMA, a major exhibitor and technical partner at the event, anticipates strong Nigerian participation—especially as the country looks forward to an economic rebound.