Market Intelligence

Nigerian Food Market News

Weekly intelligence from NBS, AFEX, WFP, CBN and leading Nigerian commodity desks — price movements, supply chain updates and policy changes affecting your market.

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15 articles

SUPPLY CHAIN

Fuel Costs and End of Harvest Season Put Upward Pressure on Tomato Prices

NATPAN's Kaduna chairman Rabiu Zuntu cautioned traders and consumers on 14 March that rising fuel costs combined with the end of the tomato harvest season are converging to push prices higher. He noted that logistics now account for a disproportionate share of tomato costs, with a 50kg basket selling for ?20,000 at farm gate in the north but ?30,000–?40,000 by the time it reaches southern markets. The association urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to provide input support ahead of the 2026 wet-season planting round and called on consumers to understand the structural, seasonal nature of tomato supply cycles.

tomatoes
The Trumpet
PRICE MOVEMENT

Post-Ramadan Tomato Price Surge Forecast as Kano-Kaduna Harvest Glut Ends

The National Tomato Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN) warned on 14 March that tomato prices are set to rise sharply after Ramadan as the dry-season harvest glut winds down. Kaduna State chairman Rabiu Zuntu confirmed a 50kg basket now sells for ?20,000 in northern markets — up from ?5,000–?8,000 just weeks earlier — and expects southern market prices to reach ?30,000–?40,000. The glut that had flooded Mile 12 and Oyingbo markets since January is over. Wet-season planting preparations are underway in the Kano-Kaduna corridor, with rains expected around April, but a supply gap of four to six weeks is anticipated before new stock arrives.

tomatoespepper
Legit.ng
PRICE MOVEMENT

NBS February 2026 Food Price Watch Due: Analysts Expect Continued Moderation

Analysts surveyed ahead of the February 2026 NBS Selected Food Price Watch — due for release in mid-March — expect food inflation to remain in single digits for the second consecutive month, continuing the trend from January's 8.89% reading. BusinessDay economists forecast the February reading will come in between 8.5% and 9.2%, supported by stable naira, post-harvest supply from the north and muted demand following post-festive contraction. However, the Ramadan demand uptick in March and the expected tomato supply gap after the dry-season harvest could reverse the trend in Q2 2026.

ricebeanstomatoesonions+2 more
BusinessDay
GOVT POLICY

Nigeria Spent ?51bn on Rice Imports in 2024 as 90 Local Mills Shut Down

BusinessDay reports Nigeria spent ?51 billion ($34.4 million) on foreign rice in 2024, with imports surging to an estimated 2.4–3.2 million metric tonnes during the duty-free waiver period. The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria confirmed nearly 90 of 150+ rice mills nationwide have ceased operations, with the remainder running at 30–70% capacity. The Federal Government met with RIPAN stakeholders on 10 March to address the crisis, with Minister Enoh warning that smuggled rice entering through land borders — priced far below domestic production costs — is undermining investment and discouraging the planting cycle. Analysts say the government faces a difficult balance: maintaining affordable consumer prices while protecting a sector that employs over 100,000 Nigerians.

rice
BusinessDay
PRICE MOVEMENT

New Market Prices: Rice at ?75,000, Beans at ?60,000, Onions Surge to ?90,000 per Bag

A market survey across major Nigerian cities in the second week of March found rice at ?75,000 (long grain) and ?55,000 (short grain) per bag, while beans held at ?60,000 per bag. The most notable movement was in onions, which jumped to ?90,000 per bag from ?70,000 — a 29% increase attributed to logistics disruptions on the Sokoto-Lagos corridor. In Kano, fresh produce remained stable with tomatoes at ?800 per bowl. Market analysts noted that overall food prices remain well below 2025 Ramadan levels and the broad consumer relief from the January NBS data is still largely intact.

ricebeansonionstomatoes
Legit.ng
GOVT POLICY

Nigeria Customs Service Publishes 2026 List of Banned Food Imports

The Nigerian Customs Service published its updated list of prohibited food imports for 2026, maintaining bans on live and frozen poultry, pork, beef and all eggs except hatching eggs. The restrictions are part of government efforts to stimulate local agricultural production and reduce import dependency. Traders dealing in frozen chicken reported the ban has kept domestic poultry prices elevated, with frozen chicken still at ?4,800/kg at major markets during the Ramadan period. Food security analysts note the policy creates asymmetric pressure — protecting local producers in proteins while import waivers simultaneously undercut domestic grains. NAFDAC continues enforcement at Lagos port and Apapa Wharf.

beans
Legit.ng
REGIONAL

Onitsha Market Disruption Ripples Across Southeast Supply Chain

The partial closure and demolition of Onitsha Main Market in early March disrupted supply chains across the Southeast geopolitical zone, with secondary effects reaching Rivers, Imo and Cross River states. Onitsha is the dominant distribution hub for imported dry goods, palm oil and frozen foods reaching the Southeast and South-South. Traders in Owerri, Aba and Port Harcourt reported delayed restocking from Onitsha suppliers during the first week of March. Commodity prices for garri and palm oil in those markets edged up 5–8% before supply normalised through alternative routes via Asaba and Enugu. The Onitsha Traders Association called on Governor Soludo to provide designated offloading zones for goods-carrying trucks displaced by the demolition exercise.

garripalm oilrice
Vanguard
REGIONAL

Dawanau Market Kano: Grain Prices Stabilise as Dry-Season Harvest Cycle Peaks

Market surveys at Dawanau Market — Nigeria's largest grain market, handling an estimated 500,000 metric tonnes of grains annually — show price stabilisation in the third week of March. A mudu of maize trades at ?1,200–?1,300, millet at ?1,000–?1,100, and beans at ?2,000–?2,200 per mudu, all down sharply from pre-harvest levels. A 100kg bag of white beans trades at ?90,000 — less than half the ?200,000 recorded a year ago. Grain merchants in Kano attribute the moderation to combined effects of bumper northern dry-season harvest, government import waivers and reduced purchasing power dampening urban demand. The low prices are helping southern processors and retailers build stock ahead of the anticipated post-Ramadan demand recovery.

maizebeansmilletsorghum+1 more
Daily Trust
MARKET EVENT

Incessant Market Fires Cost Nigerian Economy an Estimated ?4.6 Trillion in Uninsured Assets

A BusinessDay analysis published in March 2026 estimates that recurring market fires have destroyed ?4.6 trillion in uninsured assets across Nigerian markets, with losses concentrated in Lagos, Onitsha, Kano, Ibadan and Aba. Markets affected include Ladipo and Owode Onirin in Lagos, Gbagi and Aleshinloye in Oyo, Onitsha Main Market in Anambra and Simra in Kano. The report attributes the fires to overcrowding, illegal electrical modifications by traders and absence of enforced fire safety standards. BusinessDay notes that beyond financial losses, fires trigger supply disruptions that ripple through commodity prices — particularly in perishables and dry goods markets that serve as distribution hubs for food reaching end consumers across multiple states.

tomatoespeppergarririce+1 more
BusinessDay
PRICE MOVEMENT

Ramadan 2026: Mixed Price Signals Across Nigerian Markets as Fasting Season Begins

As Nigeria's Muslim population began Ramadan in early March, market surveys across Abuja, Lagos and Kano showed divergent price movements. In Abuja, beans surged from ?50,000 to ?90,000 per bag while maize rose sharply in Taraba and Kaduna. Lagos and Kano markets remained relatively calm — a bag of tomatoes held at ?36,000, long grain rice at ?75,000 and beans at ?60,000. In Kano, fresh tomatoes sold at ?800 per bowl and onions at ?2,000, with only minor adjustments from pre-Ramadan levels. Traders attributed northern stability to abundant dry-season harvests, while southern pressure reflected logistics bottlenecks.

ricebeanstomatoesonions+1 more
Daily Trust
REGIONAL

NBS Data Reveals Persistent North-South Food Price Gap Despite National Moderation

The NBS January 2026 Selected Food Price Watch confirmed that southern zones continue to post higher commodity prices than the north, driven by structural logistics inefficiencies rather than supply differences. For local rice, Niger State recorded the highest price at ?1,841/kg while prices in northern producing states remained significantly lower. Beans prices showed the widest spread — Ondo posted the highest at over ?1,596/kg against Sokoto's ?745/kg, a 114% differential for the same commodity. Analysts note the price gap narrows when the dry-season northern harvest flood arrives in southern markets but widens again as harvest stocks deplete. The pattern reinforces the arbitrage case for traders with inter-state distribution capabilities.

ricebeansgarrionions+1 more
NBS
SUPPLY CHAIN

Farmers Count Losses as NBS Data Shows Sharp Decline in Food Prices

The NBS January 2026 food price report triggered contrasting reactions: consumers celebrated relief while farmers and processors warned of deepening losses. A rice processor noted that farmers who received fertiliser inputs on credit now face offtake prices well below their production costs — some selling rice at ?30,000 per bag after spending ?120,000 to produce it. AFAN warned that sustained price compression could discourage planting in the 2026 cycle, particularly as producer funding gaps widen. Analysts said food price trajectories in H1 2026 hinge on policy coordination, input affordability and farmer confidence ahead of the planting season.

ricebeansmaize
Vanguard
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