Food prices recorded mixed movements across major Nigerian markets in January, with notable relief for staple grains such as rice and beans, while cooking oils and processed foods continued to climb, limiting overall gains for households.
A comparison of prices between December 2025 and early January 2026 shows improved supply conditions, pushing down prices of key staples across several regions.
The moderation reflects peak harvest flows, higher domestic production and market adjustments following government interventions.
However, rising costs of edible oils and packaged foods kept pressure on food budgets.
In North-Central and FCT, Abuja
Markets in Abuja recorded the sharpest adjustments in rice and beans.
A 50kg bag of local rice that sold for ₦63,000 to ₦65,000 in December now goes for ₦50,000 to ₦55,000.
Half bags sell for ₦25,000 to ₦27,000, down from above ₦32,000. At the retail level, a mudu of local rice sells for about ₦2,000 compared with ₦2,200 previously.
Imported rice also softened. A 50kg bag now sells for ₦72,000 to ₦75,000, down from ₦80,000 to ₦85,000, though it remains costlier than locally milled varieties.
White beans prices eased but remained volatile as a full bag now ranges between ₦70,000 and ₦90,000 from about ₦95,000 in December. A mudu sells for ₦1,000 to ₦1,400, compared with nearly ₦2,000 previously.
Brown beans remained elevated, with a half bag selling around ₦60,000 and a mudu about ₦2,500.
Cooking oils moved in the opposite direction. A 25 litre container of groundnut oil rose to about ₦70,000 from below ₦65,000, while palm oil increased to around ₦57,000 from ₦52,000.
Retail prices stood at about ₦2,500 per litre for groundnut oil and ₦2,300 for palm oil.
Processed foods offered little relief. A carton of spaghetti or macaroni now sells for about ₦19,000, up from ₦17,000 to ₦18,000, with single packs retailing at about ₦1,000.
Traders say the easing in grains has come at a cost to those who stocked heavily last year, as falling prices have forced sales at thinner margins.
In South-East, prices remain relatively stable or declined, supported by bumper harvests and peak farming activity.
At the Abakaliki Foodstuff Regional Market in Ebonyi State, a bag of iron beans sells for about ₦80,000, while Patasko beans go for ₦70,000, down sharply from ₦130,000 to ₦150,000 last year.
Okpa bambara nut sells for about ₦120,000, groundnut ₦130,000, ukah ₦35,000 and soybeans ₦65,000 per bag.
Rice prices held steady.
A 25kg bag of high-grade Abakaliki rice sells for ₦18,000 to ₦20,000, while lower-grade varieties go for about ₦15,000, down from ₦25,000 to ₦40,000 last year.
Garri prices also eased. In Ngbo communities of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, a paint of white garri sells for about ₦1,000 and red garri ₦1,500, compared with about ₦5,000 last year. Yam prices softened, with ₦10,000 buying five to six large tubers.
In north west
Kano markets recorded broad-based declines across major staples. Surveys at Yankura, Sabon Gari, Tarauni and Dawanau International markets show foreign rice selling for about ₦53,000 per 50kg bag, while local rice sells for around ₦63,000. This compares with prices above ₦70,000 for foreign rice and up to ₦80,000 for local rice a year earlier.
White beans now sell for about ₦60,000 per bag and red beans for ₦52,000, down from ₦70,000 to ₦85,000. White garri sells for about ₦47,000 per 50kg bag, yellow garri about ₦22,000.
Sorghum dropped to around ₦36,000 per bag, while millet sells for about ₦32,000. Traders attribute the moderation to improved harvests, better supply flows and reduced speculative buying, while warning that fuel costs, exchange rate pressures and security challenges remain risks.
In South-West and Lagos markets, prices remain mixed. A 50kg bag of foreign rice sells for about ₦57,000, while local rice sells for ₦65,000.
A 100kg bag of oloyin beans goes for ₦100,000, with olo2 beans at ₦95,000. Yellow and white garri sell for about ₦18,000 per 60kg bag.
Tomatoes sell for ₦45,000 per big basket and ₦25,500 per small basket. Onions sell for about ₦95,000 per big bag, while a medium bag of rodo pepper costs around ₦80,000. Vegetable oil sells for about ₦65,000 per 25 litres, while palm oil costs about ₦64,000.
Why prices are easing!
Food prices are moderating as seasonal harvests coincide with higher domestic production and policy interventions that expanded supply.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says output of staples such as maize, rice, wheat and cassava improved following expanded planting and better access to inputs since 2023.
According to Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, the combined effect of reforms, mechanisation and market focused interventions is repositioning agriculture as a scalable business capable of stabilising food supply and prices.
Similarly, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, was of the opinion that increased production under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro Pocket initiative had shifted markets from scarcity toward relative abundance.
He linked the price adjustment to larger volumes entering markets and the current harvest cycle.
Government signalling also played a role. Announcements of a temporary import window last year prompted traders to release stored grains, easing supply tightness even as officials maintain that imported stocks have not been released.
Input support further reduced production costs. Fertiliser releases and subsidised inputs at the federal and state levels allowed farmers to produce more competitively this season.
Mechanisation partnerships are beginning to lower land preparation costs and improve yields through shared service centres, while policy reforms have improved coordination across production, storage and distribution.
While risks from logistics, inflation and security persist, January data suggest easing pressure on core staples.
However, persistent increases in cooking oils and processed foods underline the fragile nature of food price stability nationwide.
Dining and Cooking