Beans price don waka go up for Lagos, but pepper and melon price fall sharp for September 2025

For September, Lagos food market don see wahala as price waka, markets like Mushin, Mile 12, Oyingbo and Daleko dey feel di wahala. Survey wey dem do show say 50kg bag of brown beans don go up 18.75%, sweet potatoes basket big basket, Honeywell semovita, Ayoola poundo yam flour and some others price dem don increase. But items like pepper, melon, wheat and frozen fish dey fall well‑well. Dis kain mixed movement reflect di kind price wahala Nigeria food economy don enter for 2025, where September food price changes show more price drop generally than di usual increase. Out of 71 food items, 25 see price hikes. Di 50kg brown beans bag don jump to N95,000 from N80,000, dat one na 18.75% increase, di highest for di month. Traders dey blame supply from Northern states wey rainfall comot harvest, so items no show well.

Big Basket of sweet potato price don climb 11.11%, from N45,000 last month to N50,000, because supply don drop and demand don rise from food vendors. Honeywell semovita (1kg & 2kg) price don go up 9.38% and 8.57% respectively, reflect say production cost and packaging don increase. 25‑litres of Local Palm Oil don climb 8.15%, now dey sell for N69,000. Dis one partly na because problems for logistics and palm oil mills no dey produce like before. 50kg bag of Yellow Maize don see 7.63% increase, dey sell average for N63,500 for September, likely because poultry farms dey demand am for feed. Other items wey price don rise include: 0.9kg Olaola poundo yam flour: from N9,500 to N10,150 (+6.84%); 320g Dano Refill milk: from N3,100 to N3,300 (+6.45%); 50kg bag of Golden Penny & Mama Gold flour: +6.15% and +5% respectively; and big basket of round‑shaped tomatoes: +4.65% from N43,000 to N45,000.

While beans surge, pepper don waka opposite direction, wey dey drag overall market feel. Big bag of pepper crash to N80,000, down 48.39% from N155,000 in August. Same time, medium bags of pepper drop by 25%, settle for N60,000

Other sharp falls:

• Big bag of melon (egusi), wey na staple for Nigerian soups, drop by 43%, now dey sell average for N220,000 from N280,000.
• Ayoola Poundo Yam Flour (0.9kg) fall by 79%, average now N3,750 from N4,300, make life small easy for households wey rely on processed yam.
• 1kg of Titus Mackerel Fish, popular source of protein, drop by 5%, while same size for Kote (Horse Mackerel Fish) drop by 11.90%, now dey sell for N7,000 and N3,700 respectively.
• Medium‑sized Abuja Yam Tubers see 12% price drop, dey sell average for N3,500, from N4,000, show supply don improve from northern markets.
• 5kg and 10kg of Honeywell wheat fall by 73% and 10.45% respectively.

Overall, about 60% of tracked items record price declines, show say supply don better for some categories, especially tubers, vegetables and fish.

Buyers and Sellers’ Reactions: Mixed Sentiments Across Markets

Middle‑income families, wey transport cost and school resumption expenses don already cut them reach, dey shift how dem buy things, many dey now opt for small units, using paint‑bucket measures instead of 50 kg bags. For many Lagos households, relief for pepper and garri prices come as welcome news. Caterer and shopper, Mrs. Adeola for Mile 12 market talk say: “I happy say I buy pepper for almost half di price wey e dey last month. “But di price of beans don too high. E dey affect how I dey plan my food.” she explain further. Alhaji Umar notice say tomatoes and pepper full ground. “Tomato and pepper plenty come from di North; dem come too much at once, na why di price drop.”

Ms. Modupe at Daleko market say: “Beans no be food for common people again; at dis price, e be like say na meat we dey buy. Now, we dey mix beans with maize to make am last.” Mrs. Funmi, one food vendor for Mushin, say, “I buy big bag of pepper for less than half di price wey I pay last month. E be big relief. Now, I fit sell better price and good quality to my customers.”

Di September data show say market dey move for two speeds, protein‑rich staples like beans and flour dey feel pressure to go up, while perishable items like pepper, melon, and yam tubers dey ease because harvest season don bring supply. Beans market go likely remain tight until next harvest cycle, while semovita and palm oil fit still dey reflect broader macroeconomic trends. Consumer demand fit soft in coming months as many households go put school fees and transportation first rather than buy foods in bulk. In essence, while September bring relief for pepper lovers, di surge in beans don make many households dey adjust their food budgets. For Lagosians, food basket still dey unpredictable, sometimes scarcity drive price hikes, other times harvest bring price drops.