Nigerian Manufactured Rice sold at a mean ₦52,143 per 50kg bag across the seven Lagos markets that stock it in the week to 14 August 2026, against ₦56,250 for Imported Rice (Long Grain) across eight markets. The gap of ₦4,107 puts local rice 7.3% below the imported long grain mean.
The Advantage Narrows At Other Units
Against short grain the picture is closer. Imported short grain averaged ₦52,550 per 50kg bag, only ₦407 above the local mean, a difference of 0.8%. At 25kg the ranking inverts, with local rice at ₦26,500 sitting ₦150 above imported short grain at ₦26,350 while remaining ₦2,062 below imported long grain at ₦28,562. At derica scale local rice is the cheapest of the three at ₦858, against ₦861 for short grain and ₦969 for long grain.
The premium households pay is therefore for long grain specifically, not for imported rice as a class.
Local Rice Fell While Imported Rose
Direction separated the two more clearly than price did. Nigerian Manufactured Rice fell at every measure this week, down 2.8% at derica from ₦883 to ₦858, 0.8% at both 25kg and 50kg, and 0.4% at paint scale to ₦4,442. Imported rice rose 3.3% at short grain derica and 2.6% at long grain derica in the same week.
Millers have been carrying that pressure. Legit.ng reported 50kg bags falling to about ₦48,000 as cheaper imports arrived, with local producers counting losses against rising production costs. The All Farmers Association of Nigeria told Naija News in May that staples including rice could become more affordable if farmers gained safer access to their fields and cheaper inputs.
Coverage And Where To Buy
The local rice figures rest on thinner coverage than the imported lines, six markets at derica and paint scale and seven at bag scale, against eight to ten for imported rice. Buyers should read the mean accordingly.
Agege Market is the cheapest source at ₦48,000 for a 50kg bag, against ₦56,000 at Ajah Market. That spread of ₦8,000 is a premium of 16.7% and is larger than the gap between local and imported long grain. A household buying one bag a month saves ₦96,000 over a year by sourcing at Agege rather than Ajah.
Live prices: foodprices.ng/real-time-prices/?brand_name=Nigerian+Manufactured+Rice