Food prices in Abuja recorded mixed movements in September 2025, with some staples dropping significantly while others witnessed fresh increases.
Visits to major markets, including Wuse, Kubwa, Nyanya, and Orange Market, reveal that a sack of dry onions, one of the most widely used cooking ingredients, sells between N55,000 and N60,000, rising sharply from N45,000 in July.
At the Orange market, a bag of onions was sold for around N60,000.
Pepper, another essential item, was priced at N3,000–N3,500 per mudu, down from N4,500 in July, indicating some relief for households.
The price of a lap of goat meat rose to N7,500-N13,500, compared to N6,821-N10,000 in July, reflecting higher demand and rising transportation costs. By contrast, a carton of Titus fish fell to N69,000, down from N72,000 two months earlier.
Price of beans, rice drops sharply
A visit to the Orange market shows that beans prices experienced a downward trend. A mudu of white beans dropped to N1,600 from N2,020.96, while brown beans sold at N1,500, down from N2,319.27 in July. Similarly, rice prices declined.
A mudu of clean local rice went for N1,600, compared to N2,586 previously. Local rice (with stones) dropped further to N1,400, while foreign rice cost N2,500 per mudu, down from N2,642. A 50kg bag of foreign rice also fell to N65,000, from N79,000 in July.
In Nyanya market, located at the satellite town, a 50 kg bag of rice that was formally sold between N80,000 and N85,000 in July, was now being sold for between N58,000 and N63,000, depending on the brand.
Also, a 25kg bag of rice, depending on the brand, costs about N30,000 at the Orange market.
Fresh tomato prices recorded the steepest decline. A mudu sold at N3,000, compared to N6,821 in July, providing relief for many households that had struggled with the high cost during the rainy season shortages.
Similarly, yam tubers now sell for about N2,000, down from N2,484 earlier in the year.
Traders, customers share their views
Traders attributed the price drops in beans, rice, yams, and tomatoes to improved supply from northern states as the harvest season began.
However, items like onions and goat meat remain elevated due to persistent high transport costs and insecurity in farming regions.
“The price of onions can sometimes be unpredictable. So, you can come back tomorrow and buy it cheaper,” Hauwa, an onion trader at Kubwa said.
Some consumers in Abuja have welcomed the reduction in staple prices but lamented that overall household food budgets remain strained.
“Yes, rice and beans are cheaper, but onions and meat are still too high. By the time you combine everything, you still end up spending more,” said Halima, a mother of three at Wuse Market, told Nairametrics.
Experts speak
Traders and market analysts have said that the easing of food prices by the federal government’s recent policies has helped crash food prices.
Dr. Adam Abudu of the Society for Peacebuilding and Economic Advancement also highlighted the role of government policies in food price stabilization.
He noted that the relative stability of the foreign exchange (FX) market in recent weeks has helped ease the cost of imported food items, indirectly affecting local food prices.
“A stable naira has made importation more predictable. When importers can plan ahead without worrying about erratic exchange rates, it prevents unnecessary price surges in the market.”
Another expert based at the University of Abuja, Fred Akano, recalled that earlier in September, President Bola Tinubu directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to roll out additional measures aimed at further reducing food prices in the country.
“Let us not forget that the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, said that the President has given a matching order to promote safe passage of agricultural commodities nationwide,” he said.
What you should know
- The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased for the fifth consecutive month, dropping to 20.12% in August 2025 from 21.88% recorded in July 2025.
- According to the report, the food inflation rate in August 2025 was 21.87% on a year-on-year basis. This was 15.65% points lower compared to the rate recorded in August 2024, which was at 37.52%.
- The NBS noted that the significant decline in the annual food inflation figure is technically due to the change in the base year.
- The decrease, according to NBS, can be attributed to the rate of decline in the average prices of Rice (Imported), Rice (local), Guinea corn flour, Maize flour sold loose, Guinea Corn (Sorghum), Millet, Semolina, Soya milk, etc.
