The food market in Lagos showed a mixed bag of price changes between July and August 2025, with some staple items such as a kilo of Titus (Mackerel) and big bag of pepper recording notable price hike of 14.29% and 10.71%, respectively, while others including a 50kg of white garri, dry onions, melon experienced significant drops.

The latest Naijaonpoint Food Price Survey, covering Mushin, Mile 12, Oyingbo, and Daleko markets, reveals that price decreases dominated the period, and this is attributable to seasonal harvests and improved supply.

The August 2025 price movements reflect complex interplays of supply, demand, seasonality, inflation, and market sentiments that affect everyday Nigerians.

In August 2025 survey, 14 out of 70 food items saw price jumps, with fish, pasta, yam flour, and pepper topping the list.

Other commodities that experienced marginal increase include Bush mango seed/Ogbono (3.64%), Lipton Yellow Label Tea (52g) (3.3%), big basket of tomatoes (2.86%).

These increases, traders explained, were driven by transportation cost spikes, reduced harvest inflow, and currency weakness affecting imported items.

While some items became more expensive, a huge number of major food products dropped in price, bringing a measure of relief to households.

Other noticeable declines include: 5kg of Honeywell wheat (10%), 380g of ThreeCrown refil milk (9.39%), 50kg of yellow maize (9.20%), and a carton of frozen turkey (8.54%).

Traders said these drops were mainly seasonal, as August is a period when certain farm produce floods the market, pushing prices down.

Food items that remains consistent in the review period include: carton of golden penny noodles, beverages such as milo, bournvita, ovaltine, frozen kote fish and chicken, and milk

“The rain is too much this year. Many farmers can’t even harvest well, and transportation from the north is costlier. That’s why pepper is now gold.”

“Garri is plenty now because farmers have started bringing in fresh cassava. People are buying more, and sales are moving.”

“I just focus on what is cheaper for now. This month, I bought more garri and potatoes instead of beans and pasta.”

“Before, I could buy 3 pieces of Titus with N7,000, now it’s only 2 small pieces. Customers are complaining every day, but what can we do? The cold room price has gone up,” said Mrs. Amaka, a fish trader.

“Beans from the north are not coming fast. Transport is expensive, and the roads are bad because of the rain,” explained Alhaji Musa, a beans wholesaler.

“The pepper farms are flooded in some areas. Plus, drivers charge more now because of fuel price. That’s why a small quantity is so costly,” said Madam Kehinde, a Mile 12 trader.

“Most of these pastas are produced locally but wheat is imported. The exchange rate is affecting it, so even pasta is not spared.”

“We thank God for onions this month. It’s plenty in the market because the north brought in large harvest. Customers are buying more,” said Yakubu, an onion seller at Oyingbo.

“Egusi was too costly before, so I stopped cooking it. Now that it’s cheaper, I’ll buy a big measure this week,” said Mrs. Chinyere, a customer at Daleko.

“The company reduced their price because demand dropped when it became too expensive. People were switching to garri,” explained Mr. Olu, a wholesaler at Mushin.

Given the current trajectory, food inflation is expected to remain high in the coming months, with some commodities continuing to rise in price despite seasonal harvests.

The National Bureau of Statistics could report a marginal slowdown in month-on-month food inflation for August due to the decline in key staples like garri, yam, and onions, but year-on-year inflation is likely to stay high as overall prices remain well above last year’s levels, and especially as the festive season approaches.

The Naijaonpoint Food Price Watch is a monthly market survey tracking the prices of major food items across Nigeria.

This report specifically covers four key markets in Lagos State: Mushin Market, Daleko Market, Oyingbo Market, and Mile 12 Market.

The survey provides up-to-date insights into food price trends, helping businesses, policymakers, and consumers make informed decisions.