The single largest saving available to a Lagos household in this week's survey sits on a 25kg bag of rice. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems market survey for the week of 17 July 2026 puts Imported Rice (Long Grain) at ₦26,500 per 25kg bag at Agbalata Market and ₦34,000 at both Ajah Market and Sabo Market Yaba. Eight markets reported and the Lagos average is ₦30,312, which makes the dearest quote 28% above the cheapest.
A ₦7,500 Gap on One Bag
Agbalata sits 12.6% below the Lagos average. Agege Market follows at ₦27,500 and Oyingbo Market at ₦28,000. Mushin Market and Mile 12 Market both quote ₦30,000, Ile-Epo Market ₦32,500, and the two dearest markets share ₦34,000, which is 12.2% above the average. Nigeria's minimum wage is ₦70,000 a month, so the ₦7,500 spread represents 10.7% of a month's wage captured or lost on a single purchase.
Up on the Week, Down on the Year
The Lagos average rose 1.0% from ₦30,000 in the prior survey and is 2.5% above the ₦29,562 recorded four weeks ago. Since 9 January it has fallen 5.5% from ₦32,083. The annual softening is consistent with national reporting. Legit.ng reported a market survey finding 50kg bags trading between ₦40,000 and ₦87,000 depending on brand and location, a marked improvement on earlier months when premium brands cleared ₦90,000. Nairametrics reported Abuja buyers paying between ₦53,000 and ₦55,500 for a 50kg bag in early May against ₦80,000 to ₦85,000 a year earlier.
Tariff Relief Has Fed the Import Channel
The policy backdrop favours imported grades this year. The Nation reported the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures taking effect from 1 April with a 90 day grace period for importers holding existing documentation, and The ICIR placed the rice change within a revised schedule covering 127 tariff lines. The Guardian described the package as one of the most substantial tariff overhauls in years. Currency stability has helped alongside it, with Daily Post reporting external reserves at $52.02 billion on 20 July and the Monetary Policy Committee holding its benchmark rate at 26.50%.
Bag Size Changes the Maths
Buying in 25kg units carries a small penalty on this grade. Imported Rice (Long Grain) averaged ₦59,938 per 50kg bag in the same survey, while two 25kg bags cost ₦60,624, a 1.1% premium for the smaller unit. Grade matters more than size. Nigerian Manufactured Rice averaged ₦26,625 per 25kg bag and Imported Rice (Short Grain) ₦26,900, which places long grain 13.8% above the local product and 12.7% above imported short grain at the same weight.
The Island Premium Is Wide Here
Ajah Market is the only market on the Ajah and Lekki axis reporting a 25kg long grain price, and its ₦34,000 sits 14% above the mainland average of ₦29,786. That is a wider premium than the 4% recorded on imported short grain bags in the same week, which suggests the island gap on rice varies by grade rather than applying evenly across the category.
What the Data Signals for Buyers
Three separate decisions each carry a price here, and they are worth different amounts. Choosing the cheapest market over the dearest saves ₦7,500. Choosing a 50kg bag over two 25kg bags saves ₦686. Choosing the locally milled product over imported long grain at the same 25kg weight saves ₦3,687. A household making all three choices captures more than the annual price decline has delivered so far. The ranking also tells buyers where to spend their attention, since the market decision on this grade is worth roughly ten times the packaging decision.
FoodPrices Nigeria will keep tracking bag prices by grade and size across the network. Live prices: foodprices.ng/real-time-prices