Onions were the biggest riser in Lagos markets this week. The mean price of 1kg climbed to ₦1,260 in the week to 23 October 2026, up from ₦1,210 the week before, an increase of 4.1%. The figure is an average across 10 Lagos markets in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems market survey, with outliers filtered out.
A wide gap between markets
Where a household shops matters a great deal for onions. The cheapest kilogram was found at Mile 12 Market for ₦700, while the dearest was at Agege Market for ₦2,000. A shopper at the top of that range pays nearly three times what a shopper at the bottom pays, so the mean of ₦1,260 hides a very uneven picture across the city.
What other Nigerian outlets are reporting
The direction of travel is backed by several Nigerian outlets, although they mostly quote bag prices or other cities, so their figures cannot be compared directly with the per kilogram mean above. Business A.M reported in early October that dry season onions posted the sharpest jump among the vegetables and produce it tracks, which agrees with the rise seen in Lagos this week. Daily Trust reported that the surge in onion prices has squeezed households and pointed to post harvest losses from weak storage as part of the story. Vanguard has also reported a steep climb in onion bag prices over recent months, which supports the view that this week's gain is part of a longer upward run. Legit.ng's October survey of Lagos markets lists onions among the staples that became more expensive, and Premium Times, citing the News Agency of Nigeria, reported higher onion prices in Enugu, showing the pressure is not limited to Lagos.
What it means for the pot
Onions sit at the base of most Nigerian stews, so a 4.1% weekly rise is felt quickly in the kitchen. Shoppers who can compare markets, and who are willing to travel to the cheaper end of the range, stand to save more on this one item than on almost anything else in the basket.
Data source: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems market survey. Track every item market by market on the FoodPrices live prices page: https://foodprices.ng/real-time-prices