The average price of a 50kg bag of local rice rose by 20.5 per cent in March 2026 to N112,000, up from N92,946 recorded in February, the National Bureau of Statistics has said.
The figures were contained in the bureau’s Selected Food Price Watch report released for March 2026.
For imported rice, the NBS said the average price of a 50kg bag increased by 3.06 per cent to N133,975 in March from N110,589 in February.
The report also showed that several staple food items recorded steady price increases within the same period.
The average price of eggs increased by 2.0 per cent in March 2026 compared to February 2026, while the price of brown beans rose by 1.41 per cent to N1,325.85 per kilogram. White garri increased by 1.38 per cent to N801.54 per kilogram, and onions rose by 1.59 per cent to N1,153.14 per kilogram. Fresh ginger climbed slightly by 0.61 per cent to N5,541.25 per kilogram.
The bureau further noted significant state-level disparities in food prices across the country.
Taraba State recorded the highest price for a crate of eggs at N6,999, while Niger State had the lowest at N5,610. For beans, Oyo State posted the highest price at N1,937.20 per kilogram, while Taraba recorded the lowest at N745. For garri, Abia State recorded the highest price at N1,075.45 per kilogram, while Plateau State recorded the lowest at N513.78.
However, recent findings by Vanguard showed that the price of 50kg local rice averages N60,000 in some locations, reflecting wide variations in retail pricing across markets. The sustained rise in food prices continues to reflect pressure on household incomes amid inflationary trends.
