The hike in food prices across Nigeria has been a prevalent topic of discussion for decades with numerous Nigerians complaining about the recent hike in food prices, which has proved itself more critical as a high number of Nigerians live in starvation and hunger.

Despite the revealed statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI), which shows the hike in food prices has plummeted to 38.2 per cent from 40.66 per cent, the Nigerian people continue to face harsh food insecurity.

Certain market areas within the state reveal the severity of the situation;

In Lagos State, market surveys in areas such as Iyana Iba, Ikorodu, and their environs show a sharp rise in the price of local parboiled rice, which jumped from ₦53,000 in May to ₦77,000 by July — a clear contradiction to claims of easing food inflation.

Additionally, a 50kg bag of maize that previously sold for ₦68,000 in May has climbed to ₦78,000, while a bag of white garri now goes for ₦60,000.

Tomatoes recorded one of the most dramatic hikes, nearly doubling from ₦58,500 per basket in May to ₦110,000 in July.

Onion prices also rose significantly, moving from ₦85,000 per bag in May to ₦100,000 in June and then spiking to ₦140,000 by July.

Beans remained costly, trading at ₦82,000 in May before seeing a slight dip to ₦75,000 in June. Meanwhile, new yam tubers are now priced between ₦5,000 and ₦6,000.

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In the Iyana Iba market, a trader, Mallam Mohammed, tied the hike in pepper price to rising transportation fees

“Pepper and tomatoes are expensive. We don’t buy plenty again because we bring them from the North. That is why customers are complaining whenever they buy from us,” he said

In Ibadan, Gbagi and Bodija markets reveal an interesting disparity. Gbagi market reveals an increase in prices, compared to Bodija.

In Gbagi market, the price of a paint rubber of beans surged from ₦1,200 in May to ₦3,000 as of Saturday.

A fish vendor, Mrs. Olaitan Deborah, also shared her concerns over the sharp rise in fish prices, describing the hikes as alarming and unsustainable for both traders and customers.

“We used to sell Sawa fish for Ν500, now it’s Ν1,000. A carton of Sawa that is sold for Ν24,000 is now Ν61,000. Kote fish jumped from Ν53,000 to Ν65,000 within four days last week. Titus, once Ν18,000 per carton, now costs Ν125,000. Turkey is Ν58,000 now, up from Ν30,000” she said

A yam seller also confirmed the situation

“Those same yam tubers were Ν2,500 not long ago. Big tubers that were Ν4,000 are now Ν7,500, while small ones that were sold for Ν1,500 are now Ν4000. Everything has doubled or tripled,” Mrs Idayat said

In the Bodija market, a trader reported a drop in the prices of rice and beans

“Ν80,000 and Ν81,000. It was between Ν83,000 and Ν85,000 before. Beans are now Ν51,000 per bag; we’ve sold them here before between Ν60,000 and Ν75,000.”

Osun State has a different report as prices have continued to rise.

At Ota Efun and Igbona markets in Osogbo, a 50kg bag of rice had climbed to ₦74,000 as of Saturday, reflecting the ongoing surge in food prices across the country.

In Anambra State, markets including Relief Market, Ochanja, Bridge Head in Onitsha, Eke-Awka in Awka, Nkpor near Ogidi, and Nkwo in Nnewi have experienced sharp increases in food prices over the last two months.

A bag of locally milled rice, previously sold for between N38,000 and N45,000 in May, now costs between N55,000 and N65,000, while the price of foreign rice has surged from N85,000 to between N95,000 and N100,000, depending on the brand.

At Eke-Awka Market, a family-sized tuber of yam now sells for between N8,000 and N10,000, up from N5,500 to N6,500 in May.

A paint container of tomatoes goes for N6,500, while the price of pepper remains elevated, with traders blaming the spike on high transportation costs from the North, where the bulk of the produce is sourced.

Grace Ebube, a trader at the market, explained that the scarcity has been worsened by the fact that many crops are currently in their growth phase, between planting and harvest seasons.

“That’s why food is expensive now. People can’t afford to buy much anymore. They just come in to buy small quantities because there’s no more money’ she said

In Asaba, prices remain steep in major markets such as the Oko (Hausa) Market and the Ogbogonogo Market. A paint bucket of tomatoes, previously sold for N6,000, now goes for N8,000.

Yam continues to command high prices, ranging between N5,000 and N6,000 per tuber, while gari remains pegged at N3,000 per paint bucket — showing little to no reduction despite the onset of the harvest season.

At Ogbogonogo Market, a food vendor, Mrs. Beatrice Okonkwo, expressed frustration over the persistently high prices of food items, despite the arrival of fresh harvests.

“Normally, when yams, maize, and potatoes start coming out, garri becomes cheaper, but not this time. Tomatoes are now between Ν7,500 and Ν8,000 per paint bucket. Beans and rice have dropped only slightly. Beans went from Ν6000 to Ν5,800 per paint,” she said.

In Abuja, the same situation persists. The price of a 50kg bag of Nigerian rice has climbed to N65,000, while the imported variety now sells for as high as N85,000—an alarming increase from the N54,000 to N60,000 range recorded in May and June.

Brown beans, which previously sold for between N80,000 and N82,000, have dropped significantly to N30,000 per bag. In contrast, white beans now go for N120,000.

Maize is currently priced at N60,000 per bag, while white garri sells for N50,000. The red variety has surged to N70,000, up sharply from the N38,000 recorded in May.

These market trends starkly contradict recent assurances by government officials, who had attributed a supposed decline in food prices to ongoing policy reforms and the onset of seasonal harvests.

As food prices continue to rise across southern states, some northern regions, particularly Kaduna, Sokoto, and Benue, are experiencing a gradual decline in the cost of key staples.

At the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Central Market, widely known as Kaduna Central Market, a downward adjustment has been discovered in the prices of several staple foods.

A 50kg bag of imported rice, which previously sold for between N88,000 and N90,000 in July, now goes for N83,000. The local variety has also seen a reduction, dropping from N70,000 to N65,000.

A bag of white beans is currently priced at N130,000, while the brown type sells for N135,000. In retail quantities, a tier of white beans ranges between N1,700 and N1,800, while brown beans sell at approximately N2,000 per tier.

However, not all prices have reduced. Soya beans have recorded a slight increase—from N80,000 in July to N85,000 in August.

A trader known as ‘Lawal Beans’ attributed the change to seasonal supply variations.

“There was a little drop between June and July, but now soya is going up again. Maybe it’s scarcity or transportation, but we just follow the supply.”

Amid the hike, the Federal Government on Saturday said that the establishment of agribusiness industrial hubs would help reduce the post-harvest losses currently affecting farmers across the country.

Vice President Kashim Shettima made the remark in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during the groundbreaking ceremony of an Agribusiness Industrial Hub in Atan-Ijaiye, Akinyele Local Government Area.

The Vice President, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming the agricultural sector and boosting food security across the nation.

“It is a product of a strategic partnership between the Federal Government, our state governments and our esteemed international development partners, especially the African Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the Islamic Development Bank

“This collaborative effort underscores our shared belief that sustainable development in agriculture is achievable only through unity, innovation (4:13), and shared responsibility.

“It is a clear indication that Nigeria is committed to leveraging global expertise, capital, and best practices to achieve sustainable growth and social inclusion,” he said.