1 Derica rose from ₦833 to ₦861 across nine Lagos markets in the week to 14 August 2026, a gain of ₦28 or 3.3%. It is the single largest increase recorded in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems market survey this week, and one of only two lines out of 21 that rose by 1% or more.
The Bag Tells a Different Story
The same grain, sold in larger units, moved lower. The 25kg bag mean fell from ₦26,550 to ₦26,350, down 0.8% across 10 markets. The 50kg bag mean fell from ₦52,900 to ₦52,550, down 0.7%, also across 10 markets. The 1 Paint measure was effectively flat, moving from ₦4,378 to ₦4,389, up 0.3%. Short grain imported rice is therefore not rising in Lagos in any general sense. It is rising at the smallest retail measure while wholesale-scale units drift down, which locates the pressure at the retail counter rather than upstream.
Where a Derica Costs Most
A Derica sells for ₦800 at Mushin Market and ₦1,000 at Agbalata Market, a 25.0% premium. Thirty Dericas cost ₦24,000 at Mushin prices against ₦30,000 at Agbalata prices, a ₦6,000 monthly gap. At the market mean, a household buying a Derica a day now spends ₦25,830 a month, up ₦840 from the ₦24,990 implied by last week's mean.
External Reporting Supports the Bag Direction
Legit.ng reported in August 2026 that rice prices had fallen sharply in parts of Nigeria, with a 50kg bag selling for between ₦48,000 and ₦49,000, bringing relief to consumers while raising concern among local farmers and millers. AgroNigeria agreed, quoting Rice Millers Association of Nigeria national chairman Peter Dama as saying consumers in Lagos were among those benefiting from lower prices at that level. BusinessDay identified the policy driver, reporting that Nigeria cut import duty on bulk rice to 47.5% from 70% and on broken rice to 30% under its 2026 fiscal policy measures, alongside a 51% slump in paddy prices to ₦350,800 per tonne. The Whistler reported the same tariff changes and added that Nigeria Customs recorded 286 rice seizures involving 15,212 bags of 50kg parboiled rice in the first quarter of 2026. Platts research carried by Milling Middle East and Africa attributed earlier falls to a structural surplus, with India and Thailand pushing volume into the West African corridor. All five agree that supply-side conditions for imported rice have been loosening, which is consistent with the softer bag figures in the Lagos survey and inconsistent with a wholesale explanation for the Derica rise.
What This Means for Buyers
Households buying imported short grain rice by the Derica are paying more this week while households buying by the bag are paying less. Where cash flow allows, the paint and bag measures are where the relief sits.
Live prices: foodprices.ng/real-time-prices/?brand_name=Imported+Rice+(Short+Grain)