By Adenike Lawal
The price of rice in Nigeria has surged dramatically again, pushing many consumers to abandon full bag purchases and return to buying in smaller “Derica” measures. A 50kg bag now sells for ₦85,000 to ₦100,000 in Lagos markets, up from ₦65,000 just six months ago.
This spike follows the expiration of a 150-day duty-free import window, part of the Presidential Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan, which temporarily lowered prices. However, stakeholders claim the policy was poorly executed and only benefited a few well-connected companies.
Peter Dama, President of the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), criticized the selective distribution of waivers, noting that most local millers were excluded. “Only three firms had access to duty-free imports. The rest of us were sidelined, and now local production is suffering,” he said.
Market surveys in Daleko and Mile 12 show long grain rice selling at ₦90,000 to ₦100,000, while short grain goes for ₦77,000 to ₦85,000. Sellers lament low patronage and dwindling profits, as consumers opt for smaller quantities.
Mrs. Bolatito Yunisa, a rice dealer at Daleko, said: “We are not in business anymore. Customers can’t cope. Where is Nigerian rice?”
The situation is worsened by high exchange rates, poor power supply, insecurity, and rising production costs. Millers say generators have become a necessity, and insecurity has driven farmers off their lands.
Despite importing 2.4 million tonnes of brown rice between July and December 2024—worth ₦1.9 trillion—prices remain high. Another 10,000 tonnes were offloaded in Lagos in July 2025, but policy inconsistencies and limited distribution have muted the impact.
Smuggling is also contributing to the crisis. RIMAN estimates that over 1 million metric tonnes of rice have entered Nigeria illegally in 2025 alone, undercutting local producers and evading taxes.
Agricultural advocate Jerry Olanrewaju blamed the opaque waiver system for the mess, saying smallholder farmers—who produce 70% of Nigeria’s rice—are left to struggle without infrastructure, finance, or policy protection. “Each billion naira waived could’ve gone to farm mechanization or irrigation,” he said.
He and others are calling on the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to release the list of waiver beneficiaries and take urgent action, including enforcing price guarantees, supporting local millers, and tightening borders.
So far, there’s been no official response from the Ministry of Agriculture or Finance, a silence experts say could erode public trust and worsen food insecurity. According to the FAO, over 30 million Nigerians face severe hunger in 2025.
Unless long-term, inclusive strategies are implemented, stakeholders warn that Nigeria may reverse its gains in local rice production and deepen the current food crisis.
