FoodPrices Nigeria tracked 323 verified price points across nine Lagos markets between March 19 and 26, 2026 — Agege, Ajah, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lekki-Jakande, Mile 12, Mushin, Oshodi, and Sabo Market Yaba. The data reveals something that household buyers and procurement managers rarely have access to: verified, same-week price comparisons across Lagos that show exactly how much location affects what you pay for the same commodity.
The answer, this week, is: a great deal.
Short-Grain Rice: Ayobo Undercuts Ajah by ₦9,000
Imported short-grain rice shows the clearest market geography premium in this week's data. The range spans from ₦54,000 per 50kg bag at Ayobo Market — down 1.82% from ₦55,000 — to ₦63,000 at Ajah Market, a 16.7% premium for buying the same product on the island-facing axis.
The full ranking cheapest to most expensive: Ayobo ₦54,000 → Sabo Market Yaba ₦55,000 → Ipaja ₦56,000 → Lekki-Jakande ₦60,000 → Ajah ₦63,000. The ₦9,000 spread between cheapest and most expensive represents nearly two full paint buckets of rice. BusinessDay noted that a 50kg bag of rice across Lagos is averaging around ₦61,000, up from ₦56,000 in January — making Ayobo and Sabo Market Yaba the only two monitored markets currently pricing below that Lagos average.
For long-grain rice, the spread is similar. Ipaja is cheapest at ₦63,000, with Ayobo at ₦65,000 (up 8.33%), Sabo Market Yaba at ₦65,000, and Ajah at ₦73,000 — a ₦10,000 premium over Ipaja for the same product.
Oloyin Beans: ₦17,000 Gap Between Cheapest and Most Expensive
The widest verified price gap this week is in Oloyin beans. The range runs from ₦60,000 per 50kg bag at Ayobo Market and Sabo Market Yaba to ₦77,000 at Lekki-Jakande Market — a 28.3% premium.
Full ranking: Ayobo ₦60,000 (flat) → Sabo Market Yaba ₦60,000 → Mile 12 ₦65,000 → Mushin ₦65,000 → Ipaja ₦65,000 (down 7.14%) → Ajah ₦74,000 → Lekki-Jakande ₦77,000. At the paint bucket level, the gap is equally sharp: Ayobo quotes ₦4,000 per paint (down 11.11%), while Ajah and Lekki-Jakande are at ₦5,500 — a 37.5% daily retail premium. BusinessDay reported that Ramadan-related stockpiling halted months-long declines in staples — Ayobo and Sabo's price advantage this week suggests these markets are absorbing post-Ramadan demand easing faster than island-facing markets.
Garri (Yellow): Mile 12 Cheapest, Ipaja Most Expensive
Yellow garri shows a ₦4,000 spread at the 50kg bag level this week. Mile 12 is cheapest at ₦18,000 — confirmed as Lagos's wholesale garri hub. The ranking: Mile 12 ₦18,000 → Ayobo ₦20,000 (+11.11%) → Lekki-Jakande ₦21,500 → Ipaja ₦22,000. At the paint bucket level: Mile 12 ₦1,300, Ayobo ₦1,500 (flat), Ipaja ₦1,600, Lekki-Jakande ₦2,000. The Lekki-Jakande paint premium of 54% over Mile 12 is the starkest retail markup in this week's garri data.
Palm Oil: A ₦10,000 Gap Across Three Markets
Palm Oil (Local) at 25L shows a clean three-tier pricing structure: Mile 12 ₦45,000 → Sabo Market Yaba ₦50,000 → Ajah ₦55,000. The ₦10,000 spread between Mile 12 and Ajah on a 25L jerry can is significant for small food businesses — caterers, restaurants, and street food vendors who buy palm oil weekly. Groundnut Oil at 25L: Mile 12 ₦52,000 vs Ajah ₦54,000 — a narrower ₦2,000 spread.
Tomatoes: Island Markets Carry a Clear Premium
Tomatoes across Lagos markets use different measurement units but the directional signal is clear. Lekki-Jakande Market quotes ₦4,000 per paint. Ajah Market quotes ₦6,000 per paint. Ipaja Market quotes ₦8,000 per big rubber. Agege Market quotes ₦50,000 per big basket. Nairametrics reported Surulere market tomatoes at ₦2,750–₦7,000 per paint bucket this week — Ajah's ₦6,000 sits mid-range in that distribution.
Pepper (Rodo): Lekki-Jakande 33% Cheaper Than Ajah and Ipaja
Pepper (Rodo) at the paint bucket level shows a notable two-tier structure. Lekki-Jakande Market quotes ₦4,000 per paint — 33% below Ajah (₦6,000) and Ipaja (₦6,000). Agege Market trades pepper in bags: ₦45,000 per 50kg bag and ₦80,000 per 100kg bag, reflecting its wholesale role.
Yam: Mile 12 Cheapest, Ipaja Big-Tuber Premium
Medium Sized Yam: Mile 12 quotes ₦2,500 per tuber, Lekki-Jakande ₦3,000 per tuber (flat). Ipaja's size-banded pricing — ₦5,000 big, ₦4,000 medium, ₦3,000 small — places the medium-size tuber at parity with Lekki-Jakande while capturing a ₦2,000 premium on big tubers.
The Arbitrage Map
For Lagos households and businesses making sourcing decisions this week, the verified data points to one clear conclusion: the Ayobo–Sabo Market Yaba corridor currently offers the best prices for staple grains in the city, while Lekki-Jakande and Ajah consistently price at the top of the range. The gap is not marginal — on Oloyin beans alone, buying from Ayobo versus Lekki-Jakande saves ₦17,000 per 50kg bag. For a household buying two bags per month, that is ₦34,000 in monthly savings.
All nine Lagos market prices are available live at foodprices.ng/real-time-prices/.