By Uche Usim
The United States is ramping up its push to deepen agricultural trade with Nigeria by reviving and expanding a key financing pipeline designed to unlock billions in cross-border deals and stabilise food supply chains.
It is powered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Export Credit Guarantee Programme, GSM-102, a government-backed facility that reduces risk for lenders and enables Nigerian banks and importers to access credit when sourcing critical agricultural inputs from the United States. The move is a strategic pivot toward trade-led engagement, as both countries seek to scale commercial ties and strengthen food security.
The numbers, the US noted, already point to accelerating momentum as a two-way trade between Nigeria and the United States climbed to nearly $15 billion in 2025, a 14 per cent jump from the previous year. Agricultural trade has been a standout performer, surging 84 per cent to $764 million from $415 million in 2024, an expansion that explains Nigeria’s growing role as a priority partner in U.S. global trade strategy.
To translate policy into deals, the U.S. Consulate in Lagos convened a high level, two-day forum that brought together officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, alongside American exporters, Nigerian banks, and agricultural importers.
The goal is to drive awareness, close financing gaps and convert opportunity into transactions.
Opening the event, U.S. Consul General, Rick Swart, framed the initiative as a deliberate shift in Washington’s engagement model. “Under the Trump Administration, we are making a clear shift, from aid to trade. We’re engaging Nigeria as an outstanding and unique commercial partner. That means we are looking for real-world solutions that foster the kind of business environment that enables entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors to build the future of U.S.-Nigeria commerce,” Swart said.
Throughout the sessions, stakeholders drilled into how GSM-102 can serve as a catalyst for growth, lowering financing barriers, improving access to U.S. markets, and supporting job creation across both economies. Business-to-business meetings ran in parallel, as Nigerian firms engaged directly with U.S. exporters to negotiate supply deals and forge new partnerships.
For U.S. officials, the programme’s value lies in its ability to de-risk transactions in volatile markets.
Demeteris “Dee” Hale, Senior Analyst covering Africa and other regions at the USDA, emphasised the confidence-building role of the facility.
“At its core, GSM-102 strengthens market confidence by reducing risk, enabling lenders and exporters to move forward with transactions and expand into new opportunities. We are here to work with financial institutions, importers, exporters, and other stakeholders across the industry to build stronger linkages and drive increased agricultural trade,” Hale said.
A critical turning point came in late 2025, when Nigerian banks regained eligibility to participate in the programme after a period of exclusion.
Since then, selected lenders have secured credit limits, reopening access to U.S.-backed trade financing and helping to accelerate bilateral agricultural flows.
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