Alcohol is an organic compound that serves various purposes; from being used in medications to food preservatives – it’s a really valuable substance; thus, it’s produced industrially in most countries worldwide. However, with all good things, it can also serve for bad when applied negatively – when used to make beer and taken excessively.
In a country like Nigeria, where at least 30% of its citizens shy away from industrially produced substances, it’s amazing the amount that’s still earned by brewery companies every year. Since 2018, at least ₦350 billion has been made by brewery companies operating in the country – this hints at the number of beer drinkers in the nation.
Which State Drinks Beer the Most in Nigeria?
The south-south states are home to the most beer consumers in Nigeria. In 2019 alone, states from that part of the country collectively spent ₦75 billion on alcoholic beverages, and more than 60% was on beer.
Meanwhile, it’s important also to understand that rural dweller across the country consumes the most alcohol – a north central rural dweller will typically consume more alcohol than an urban dweller in the south-south.
How much do Nigerians Spend on Alcohol Today?
Surprisingly, the amount spent on alcohol and the number of alcohol consumers seems to be increasing every quarter despite the rising cost of living within the country. Data released for the first six months of 2022 shows that Nigerians have spent over ₦540 billion on alcoholic drinks, with over 80% being beer.
These figures are quite alarming because about ₦470 was recorded for the same timeline last year (2021) – it’s safe to say that beer-making and distribution companies are coping well with the steady inflation with continuous patronage.
Breakdown of States that consumes the most Beer in Nigeria
Of course, it’s not expected for residents in all states to have the same appetite for alcohol – even with the south-south having the most alcohol-consuming states, there are states in other geopolitical zones consuming relatively more than a couple of states within the south-south. Here is the top alcohol-consuming state in Nigeria.
- Cross River
- Imo
- Bayelsa
- Delta
- Rivers
- Aba
- Enugu
- Akwa Ibom
- Ogun
- Undo
While this may be on the record, it’s important to also give room for some inaccuracy because we’re not factoring in the consumption of palm wine, which is widely consumed in rural areas and some pubs in urban areas.
Alcohol Consumption in Africa
Given the stats about alcohol consumption in Nigeria, it’s surprising to see the country not leading in alcohol consumption. Seychelles lead to alcohol consumption in Africa and Uganda, with 15.09 litres in second place.
Statistics show that the average beer consumer in Nigeria takes 12.28 litres per year – that’s at least 15 bottles which is over half a crate. Uganda comes fourth with 11.93 litres per beer drinker, Kenya fifth with 7.96 litres, and Botswana in sixth with its drinkers consuming about 9.72 litres per year.
Meanwhile, these are hinted to be low-end estimations because it’s not uncommon to see a single alcohol drinker consume 3-10 bottles every weekend.
Where do they drink the Most Beer in the World?
Despite Nigerians consuming beer at an alarming rate in recent years, the global bear consumption actually fell by 6.7% in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown. More so, we’re nowhere close to the top 10 beer-consuming countries in the world.
China is the largest beer-consuming country in the world. They’ve maintained that spot for almost a decade (since 2003), and even with an 8% decrease in beer consumption following the 2020 lockdown, they still maintain top spot. More so, entire Asia is the continent with the most beer consumers – tey holds 31.2% of the global beer market.
While that’s the case, beer consumption in Africa has steadily decreased by 9.4% year-on-year since 2020. Based on data from Kirin Holdings (the company tracking global beer consumption data), we can attribute Nigeria’s increased beer consumption to the fact some countries among the top 35 in the world saw an increase in beer consumption as they were not affected by the lockdown periods.