₦airaland Forum

treesun:
The price of rice, which went down to about N65,000 per bag about six months ago, is on the upswing again, signifying more hard times for Nigerians.

Sunday Vanguard’s survey in some markets in Lagos shows that some brands of rice now sell for as high as N100,000 while others are a little lower than about N65. 000 Nigerians bought it before.

Dealers blame the development on the presumed end of the 150-day duty-free import window for essential food items as part of the Presidential Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan.

Meanwhile, millers are alleging that the presidential initiative, announced in July 2024, was conducted in secrecy as only a few firms allegedly benefited from the waivers to import duty-free grains, among which was rice.

“From what we know so far, (only) three big firms, including one in Lagos and another in Kaduna, are said to be beneficiaries of the waivers”, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, Competitive African Rice Forum, Nigerian Chapter, CARF-FSD Nigeria, CARF-FSD Nigeria, Peter Dama, told Sunday Vanguard.

Dama, who is also the President of the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), also criticised short-term measures like waivers to crash prices as detrimental to local rice farmers, millers, processors and marketers, saying long-term measures to support them were what the nation needed to ensure food security.

Dire situation
Dealers in some markets in Lagos, who spoke to us about the increase in the price of the staple food, said they were frustrated about the development, describing it as a dire situation.

Mrs Bolatito Yunisa, a rice dealer at Daleko Market Lagos, lamented: “Honestly I can’t understand Nigeria system again. We are frustrated. We are not in business.

“A bag of short grain rice we saw going down to as low as 65k has gone as high as 85k, the long grain sells between 90k and as high as 100k and it’s still going up.

“We learnt that the temporary relief has ended. Really, is this how we will continue to live as a country?

“Where is the Nigeria rice? Millers are complaining of not seeing enough paddy. Many millers are no longer producing because of FX issues. Do we go hungry? I think there is confusion somewhere”.

On her part, Mrs Bukola Osagie, another rice dealer at Mile 12 International Market Lagos, said: “It’s not funny at all. I don’t even know how families are surviving. Price keeps flying up.

“Even as a dealer, we now sell in Derica measurement because many people cannot afford to buy bag of rice anymore. We share for them so that we can also make sales”.

At the Mile 12 International Market, a bag of 50kg short grain rice that was sold for between 60k and 65k, now sells for between 77k and 85k depending on the quality.

Long grain version sells in the market for between 85k and 90k.
The price of locally produced rice that sold in the market for between 70k and 72k has also increased.

Dama, speaking to Sunday Vanguard on those who got the waivers, said, “What we know is that the rice value chain actors, who laboured to build the rice processing industry, were the ones who proposed solutions to the government about the rising costs of rice through memos and advice.

“The solutions included import quotas and waivers to deter hoarding and make up the shortfall in primary production without hurting rice millers, processors, farmers or the agriculture value chain.

“Again, some rice value chain actors amongst us, who had strong networks in India, even got to the Indian government to drop its 20 per cent export duty on rice, so that Nigerians can benefit from lower prices.

“However, as we speak, none of the companies within our members were granted waiver licenses or quotas for brown rice imports.

“For those who got the waivers, we are sure of one big rice mill because the Chairman stated it during his recent visit to the president and he announced it at the Presidential Villa. “We have also heard unconfirmed reports of two other firms also being part of those who received the waivers.

Details
“We are not privy to the details.

“One of the firms, however, mentioned 200,000 tonnes of brown rice with a value of about $84 million. “The waivers are presidential waivers.

“There is supposed to be a process for issuance of these waivers, starting from the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and investment and ending up in the Ministry of Finance.

Our members applied, but have not received any response from government to their applications”.

Dama said what has just happened serves as a reminder to consider the long-term implications of government decisions and to strive for more sustainable solutions whenever possible.

“Findings revealed that brown rice, under temporary waivers on import duties for essential food imports gulped a total of N1.9 trillion ($1.17billion) from Nigeria in the second half of 2024”, he said.

“2.4 million tonnes of brown rice were shipped to the country by Nigerian firms between July and December last year.

“Also, 10,000 tonnes of another rice ferried by African Swift in the first week of July 2025 are being offloaded at Lagos Port, after 32,000-tonnes shipment of brown rice from Thailand was facilitated in January 2025 by a logistics company, DUCAT, as importation of brown rice was permitted to help address rising food cost.

“Despite the imports, consumers in the country were still paying between N70,000 and N78,000 per 50 kg on smuggled parboiled rice from Benin Republic due to local production deficit.

“What is the end result? We are back to where we left and even worse.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/07/hard-times-lamentations-as-rice-price-rises-to-n100-000-again/

Indeed, a "benevolent dictator" (as stated years ago by Chief Olu Falae), in a Civilian Government is needed to deal with the massive lust for money and the greed of a lot of Nigerians in that country who engage in regular sabotage while creating inneficiences leading to artificial scarcity and artificial inflation in the economic ecosystem.

richiemcgold:
Rice is still between 65k to 70k here in my state. Foreign rice o



I bought rice this month at 70k here in Ondo State. A congo rubber as of yesterday is N2,500. Tin cup is N250.

.. na you know where you dey buy una own for 100k.

rice in ikare Akoko ondo state is 230 or 250 per cup

richiemcgold:
Rice is still between 65k to 70k here in my state. Foreign rice o



I bought rice this month at 70k here in Ondo State. A congo rubber as of yesterday is N2,500. Tin cup is N250.

.. na you know where you dey buy una own for 100k.

I bought half bag last month (short grain) 41k

DeOTR:
I know what I bought. Even the foreign long grain is not up to 100k as of yesterday.
However, people should be able to read between the lines:

That's just an assumption
The fact is Foreign long grain was never 60k
Before APC happened to Nigerians, most Nigerians eat the foreign long grain rice as normal rice. They call it tomato or aroso
It is APC that made all these short grain rice the staple of Nigerians

richiemcgold:
Rice is still between 65k to 70k here in my state. Foreign rice o

I bought rice this month at 70k here in Ondo State. A congo rubber as of yesterday is N2,500. Tin cup is N250.

.. na you know where you dey buy una own for 100k.

It's pretty OBVIOUS from what you typed right ABOVE that these dealers and sellers of rice and other commodities are just taking undue advantage of the folks over there in Nigeria tbh. Why should a bag of rice be more expensive in Lagos State than Ondo State when Lagos shares a common land and sea border with Benin Republic and has seaports for importation thereby lowering the cost of haulage? I remember that the BUA founder said the Nigerian-based rice millers were largely the ones responsible for hoarding the PADDY RICE in an article posted here on Nairaland in early 2025, and Abdulsamad Isiaku-Rabiu said he was going to bring down a bag of 50 kg bag of rice to N60,000 and below. Dangote said the same thing. Nigeria needs ruthless civilian rulers who are "benevolent dictators" like Chief Olu Falae rightly stated at Federal and State levels to deal with the IRRESPONSIBLE people keeping Nigeria down from achieving food security. You don't act like a gentleman when dealing with economic sabotage!

I'm ALSO aware that the FIRST EVER current female Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya and the Lagos State Government are constructing the BIGGEST "Agric Food and Logistics Hub" in Africa right in Epe which would lower the cost of food items by 50 % with the Phase 1 set to be launched any time from now. A mini Agric Food Hub created by Lagos State ALSO exists in Idi-Oro, Mushin where food items are being sold at 75% below the current market value due to the ability to connect the farmers and buyers directly.This would cut off these greedy middle men who hoard food items and other commodities. The greed of some Nigerians in marking up food items at short notice to take undue advantage of their fellow Nigerians is unprecedented!

I read on this discussion forum just two months ago how some Enugu State middle men and women LOST money after borrowing money from financial institutions to hoard bags of beans in the hope of selling at 60% ABOVE what they originally got the beans.The inflow of cheaper beans into Enugu State from bumper harvests in the North of Nigeria crashed the "dreams" of those Enugu beans hoarders to make quick profits out of the sweat of Enugu State residents due to the fact that beans CANNOT be stored for more than one year.

Beremx:
Bag of My Choice rice is 88k as we speak. Some others are between 70k to 80k.

Tinubu should open the borders and allow the importation of rice. Nigerian farmers cannot produce enough to feed the whole country owing to herdsmen terrorists.

Are Nigerians suffering from scarcity of rice or high prices of rice caused by CBN reckless minting of nairas and pumping them into circulation

PythonPro001:
Damn not again!
Rice is one of the main food Nigerians consume daily. If the government truly cares about the welfare of the masses, then the price of rice must be brought down at all cost !

Story for the gods!

230million Stupid and brainless people want to import and eat RICE spending billion of dollars in the process.
If we can’t produce rice then not one single Nigerian should eat RICE. Awon olorikori olosi people……….i hope we all starve to death if we can’t or fail to produce the food we eat.

Vondata:
Tinubumetrics..... I still wonder how all these agbado guys that depend on monthly 30k while the economy plung into more hardship will survive after 2027.
If not for tribalism, why can't we vote potent person into power. Na wa o

Who voted who?

Did votes put anyone there?

TallNigerian:
If only we understand that the common Nigerian is the major weapon fashioned against this country, maybe we may begin to realize how almost irredeemable this country has become.

A family friend of mine had a terrible experience with Nigeria Custom Service officers along the Idiroko axis sometimes last month (June 2025). He had gone to purchase 4 bags of rice at N45,000 each (this was a mutual funding by four neighbours) and was returning when he was intercepted by NCS officers, they searched and then released him to go. He had not driven up to 3 minutes when he noticed the NCS officers chasing him with motorbikes. He stopped and they said they were instructed to seize the bags of rice. They eventually did and this family friend had to contact another friend who is a Superintendent of Customs. The SC told him to return to the post where the bags were seized so he can speak to the officers, but upon arriving there, he was told the bags have been moved to the custom warehouse.

He proceeded to the warehouse where they denied receiving such item that day. After so much back and forth, my friend became frustrated and abandoned the recovery process. Somehow, he later learnt that the same people he bought the rice from were the ones colluding with the NCS officers to seize the rice, thereby spiking the price gradually.

Nigeria's problem is beyond Tinubu, Obi or Atiku. Nigerians are fantastically corrupt. It will take the Chinese style of executing corrupt officials and citizens for some normalcy to be restored in the way we conduct ourselves.

Do you understand the impact of leadership on a people? You expect good citizens when you support bad leaders?

Where are the food sufficiency una praise Buhari for?

Kaycee9242:
Apc government are scammers, there is nothing good or real about them.

Stop.blaming the Gov. Thearket seller are the worst.
You imagine you went to the market to buy rice. The market women would have packed some things underneath the bag to short change you and still.sell.ut at exhortation price

richiemcgold:
Rice is still between 65k to 70k here in my state. Foreign rice o



I bought rice this month at 70k here in Ondo State. A congo rubber as of yesterday is N2,500. Tin cup is N250.

.. na you know where you dey buy una own for 100k.

For Almighty God sake, can we stop lying for once? After I read this report I quickly dashed to the nearest supermarket I buy from, it was still the same low price of N 69,500, please let's stop playing politics with this issue

richiemcgold:
Rice is still between 65k to 70k here in my state. Foreign rice o



I bought rice this month at 70k here in Ondo State. A congo rubber as of yesterday is N2,500. Tin cup is N250.

.. na you know where you dey buy una own for 100k.

Leave them nah. Na so dem dey do. Dem just one give this government bad name.

Rice is 70k here too

Make dem dey use mouth inflate price of commodities

I've never bought rice for ₦65k, at no time this year anywhere in Lagos.

Lowest I bought was for ₦80k

richiemcgold:
Rice is still between 65k to 70k here in my state. Foreign rice o



I bought rice this month at 70k here in Ondo State. A congo rubber as of yesterday is N2,500. Tin cup is N250.

.. na you know where you dey buy una own for 100k.

Them sabi lie like crazy . Them need start arresting people pushing nonsense online

Even in d rural area, somewhere in d West here, a cup has risen from N250 to N300. The story is not propaganda, but very real

TallNigerian:
If only we understand that the common Nigerian is the major weapon fashioned against this country, maybe we may begin to realize how almost irredeemable this country has become.

A family friend of mine had a terrible experience with Nigeria Custom Service officers along the Idiroko axis sometimes last month (June 2025). He had gone to purchase 4 bags of rice at N45,000 each (this was a mutual funding by four neighbours) and was returning when he was intercepted by NCS officers, they searched and then released him to go. He had not driven up to 3 minutes when he noticed the NCS officers chasing him with motorbikes. He stopped and they said they were instructed to seize the bags of rice. They eventually did and this family friend had to contact another friend who is a Superintendent of Customs. The SC told him to return to the post where the bags were seized so he can speak to the officers, but upon arriving there, he was told the bags have been moved to the custom warehouse.

He proceeded to the warehouse where they denied receiving such item that day. After so much back and forth, my friend became frustrated and abandoned the recovery process. Somehow, he later learnt that the same people he bought the rice from were the ones colluding with the NCS officers to seize the rice, thereby spiking the price gradually.

Nigeria's problem is beyond Tinubu, Obi or Atiku. Nigerians are fantastically corrupt. It will take the Chinese style of executing corrupt officials and citizens for some normalcy to be restored in the way we conduct ourselves.

Did Americans, French, Canadian, British etc people execute their own corrupt officials and citizens to make their country attractive for us to japa and make them even more attractive than our country?

Did corruption die after ebilokan confused us to vote his Abacha PTF comrade as president to make his fellow southerner end up as a one term president? Or did corruption become worse? Does it mean that corruption is not the main reason for our problems

anonimi:
The migrant crisis in Libya and the Nigeria experience

The drive for survival and for greener pastures has continued to force millions of West African young men and women to gamble with death in attempts to cross over to Europe and other parts of the world. This quest to escape poverty, hunger, unemployment and insecurity, among other reasons, caused a major segment of Nigeria’s population to seek alternatives for better livelihood prospects for themselves and their families.

Those seeking economic survival see irregular migration as the best alternative, given the difficulty and resources involved in migrating through regular and legitimate routes. In many instances, very few of the original number who set out on these dangerous journeys live to tell their stories. While many regularly drown in the Mediterranean Sea, many also die in the deserts, and others are sold as slaves in a modern slave market.

Most of the victims of this trade are from West Africa. Many of them leave home with expectations of getting to Europe and other destinations perceived to have better economic prospects for them, but they end up in the slave merchant nets in North Africa. The victims are put in camps and sold in open markets in Libya, while the international community watches in silence. The geographical location of Libya renders it a transit route for migrants journeying to Italy and many other parts of Europe.

https://www.accord.org.za/conflict-trends/the-migrant-crisis-in-libya-and-the-nigeria-experience/

Is Tinubu not working young man??

Alliswell248:
Tinubu is working.
If this were to be a good news, you won't bother to open the thread.
The bitterness is real .

Better go and work

Are you serious about this?
Where exactly?

Charbliss90:
Rice is 46k here, foreign rice

Okay. Food products may peak while others crash, abi?
Am sincerely asking pls. Am not mocking.

CodeTemplarr:
While i am no supporter of evil APC, this isnt an APC thing entirely. Every year, prices fluctuates according demand-supply dynamics which is influenced by pkanting season.

Let the wailers here tell us price of groundnut, fresh corn, or garden egg or potatoes. They crashed while rice peaked.

Is it the short grain that contain stones?

Does foreign rice have long and short grain too?

Kukutente23:
I hope zombies can read and understand now
I've been telling them that the rice that fell to 65k and below is the short grain local rice which is usually sticky and soggy
The long grain local rice is still 70k and above and foreign rice is 80k and above as well
At least you're hearing it from a dealer now

Do you mean its the dealers or market men/women that made price of foodstuff/rice to rise?

Okay, if we buy directly from farmers, it will be cheap?

Konquest:
It's pretty OBVIOUS from what you typed right ABOVE that these dealers and sellers of rice and other commodities are just taking undue advantage of the folks over there in Nigeria tbh. Why should a bag of rice be more expensive in Lagos State than Ondo State when Lagos shares a common land and sea border with Benin Republic and has seaports for importation thereby lowering the cost of haulage? I remember that the BUA founder said the Nigerian-based rice millers were largely the ones responsible for hoarding the PADDY RICE in an article posted here on Nairaland in early 2025, and Abdulsamad Isiaku-Rabiu said he was going to bring down a bag of 50 kg bag of rice to N60,000 and below. Dangote said the same thing. Nigeria needs ruthless civilian rulers who are "benevolent dictators" like Chief Olu Falae rightly stated at Federal and State levels to deal with the IRRESPONSIBLE people keeping Nigeria down from achieving food security. You don't act like a gentleman when dealing with economic sabotage!

I'm ALSO aware that the FIRST EVER current female Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya and the Lagos State Government are constructing the BIGGEST "Agric Food and Logistics Hub" in Africa right in Epe which would lower the cost of food items by 50 % with the Phase 1 set to be launched any time from now. A mini Agric Food Hub created by Lagos State ALSO exists in Idi-Oro, Mushin where food items are being sold at 75% below the current market value due to the ability to connect the farmers and buyers directly.This would cut off these greedy middle men who hoard food items and other commodities. The greed of some Nigerians in marking up food items at short notice to take undue advantage of their fellow Nigerians is unprecedented!

I read on this discussion forum just two months ago how some Enugu State middle men and women LOST money after borrowing money from financial institutions to hoard bags of beans in the hope of selling at 60% ABOVE what they originally got the beans.The inflow of cheaper beans into Enugu State from bumper harvests in the North of Nigeria crashed the "dreams" of those Enugu beans hoarders to make quick profits out of the sweat of Enugu State residents due to the fact that beans CANNOT be stored for more than one year.

I want to understand something. If CBN print or mint money and pump it inside the economy, how does it create high prices of rice/inflation?

Gboss247:
Are Nigerians suffering from scarcity of rice or high prices of rice caused by CBN reckless minting of nairas and pumping them into circulation

Nigeria rice or foreign?

jamafa:
Leave them nah. Na so dem dey do. Dem just one give this government bad name.

Rice is 70k here too

Make dem dey use mouth inflate price of commodities

Love800:
Okay. Food products may peak while others crash, abi?
Am sincerely asking pls. Am not mocking.

No, some peak(rice beans) while others(fresh corn, garden egg or potatoes) are crashing concurrently.

Love800:
Is it the short grain that contain stones?

Does foreign rice have long and short grain too?

Both can contain stones

Foreign rice can have both long and short

Lordofalmajiri:
Where?

you need rice for that amount...make l source am for you?

Yes.


Idiroko

Love800:
Are you serious about this?
Where exactly?

I appreciate.

Kukutente23:
Both can contain stones

Foreign rice can have both long and short