Rice Prices Jump 20.5% in One Month, 50kg Bag Now N112,000 — NBS

The cost of feeding a Nigerian household just got more expensive. According to new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average price of a 50kg bag of locally produced rice jumped 20.5 percent in March 2026 — rising from ₦92,946 in February to ₦112,000. Imported foreign rice is now selling at ₦133,975 for the same quantity.

The figures come from the NBS March 2026 Selected Food Price Watch report. Rice is the most widely consumed staple food in Nigeria, and a 20 percent price spike in a single month is not an abstraction — it hits every kitchen in the country.

Other Foods Also Rising

Rice is not alone. The NBS report shows brown beans climbed 1.41 percent to ₦1,325.85 per kilogram. White garri rose 1.38 percent to ₦801.54 per kilogram. Onions are up 1.59 percent to ₦1,153.14 per kilogram. A crate of 30 eggs increased 2 percent compared to February.

On regional pricing: Taraba State recorded the highest egg price at ₦6,999 per crate, while Niger State was the cheapest at ₦5,610. For beans, Oyo State was the most expensive at ₦1,937.20 per kilogram, with Taraba at the lowest at ₦745.

The Bigger Picture

Nigeria’s national minimum wage sits at ₦70,000 per month. A single 50kg bag of local rice now costs more than that. For many families, rice is not a luxury item — it is a weekly necessity. When its price outpaces take-home pay in a matter of weeks, the food affordability crisis stops being an economic indicator and becomes a daily survival question.

Some markets in certain states are reportedly selling local rice at lower prices — around ₦60,000 per bag — reflecting the wide variation across Nigeria’s retail landscape. But at the national average, the numbers are what the NBS says they are.

Sources: Pulse Nigeria, Legit.ng, The Sun Nigeria