'You cannot ignore a country of more than 230 million people'

"We are very honoured that Gambero Rosso chose Nigeria for its first Top Italian Wines Roadshow of 2026, and the first in Western Africa," says Roberto Mengoni, Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria. "You cannot ignore a country of more than 230 million people – it is one of the big economic players in this continent. Nigerians, especially in Lagos, are the trendsetters for the rest of Africa in terms of music, cinema, art – so being present in Nigeria means you can influence the trends of the rest of the continent, including with wine."

"Nigeria's economy is like a sparkling wine – very effervescent. The economy is dynamic, the middle class is growing, and entrepreneurship is natural here. There's a natural tendency for business and trade," adds Mengoni.

Growing economy

The Nigerian economy has become one of the great success stories of Africa, with Lagos becoming a major financial centre for the continent. Cardinal Stone, a Nigerian investment bank and asset management firm, has forecast that the country's GDP will grow by 4.4% over the course of 2026, thanks in large part to the growth of sectors outside of the oil industry, including manufacturing and agriculture.

Italian businesses have decades of history working in Nigeria: "In terms of history, there has been an Italian presence here since Nigeria's independence in 1960, we have seen the development of the company. For example, Eni the energy company has been present since 1963. Many Italian entrepreneurs have been here since the 1960s."

These relations go both ways too.

"Now we also have 125,000 Nigerians in Italy and they are making a tremendous contribution to our economy – there's a new generation of Italo-Nigerians coming up," says Mengoni.

Italian wine's place in Nigeria

"It is such a varied country, so it can be open to many different things," says Mengoni when asked if there is a particular Italian wine he thinks could do well in the Nigerian market. "The important advantages of Italian wines are that they are relatively affordable, easy to drink and there is such a variety of grapes and styles that they can accommodate any taste, so they can cater for the whole market."

According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Nigeria imported US$58.1 million worth of wine in 2023, and only around 6% of that value (US$3.4m) was Italian wine, with the lion's share taken up by imports of French (US$17.1m), Spanish (US$14.3m) and South African (US$7.8m) wines. Italy's relatively small share does mean that there is plenty of room for its wines to grow in Nigeria.

"Whenever you come into contact with Italian tradition, you come into contact with something which is as sophisticated and varied as that of Nigeria," he continues. "Italian wines are very easy to get into, there is not a barrier to entry, but then you progress and gain new levels of understanding and appreciation of the wines. Every bottle is linked with a particular place, it offers the chance to discover something about that territory and culture."

Of course, exporting wine from the European Union to Nigeria is not without its paperwork.

"There are regulations that need to be complied with, and these can be complicated, but we have a number of importers in Nigeria who are very experienced in dealing with this, so it's just a question of finding the right intermediary," says Mengoni.

But it isn't just about the trading the product itself, it's also about the culture that comes with that product, according to the Ambassador: "We're not just bringing a bottle of wine, we're bringing a way of drinking: it is social and responsible. Italian wines are for tasting and spending time together, not binge drinking. Being together, drinking together and eating together helps us to understand other people."

Gambero Rosso will be bringing the Top Italian Wines Roadshow to Lagos on 27 January.