The latest Selected Food Price Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday has revealed that the prices of staple food items across Nigeria experienced a significant decline in October 2025.
According to the report, several essential staples, including rice, beans, garri, and tomatoes recorded both year-on-year and month-on-month decreases in cost.
The report showed that the average price of 1kg of local rice fell to N1,913.78 in October 2025, indicating a 2.01% year-on-year decrease from N1,944.64 in October 2024, and a 1.59% decline from September 2025.
The NBS noted that the average price of 1kg of brown beans fell to N1,760.53, representing a 37.09% year-on-year decline from N2,798.50 in October 2024, and a further 3.04% drop month-on-month.
The decline in bean prices is attributed to improved harvest yields and increased market supply across the North-central and North-west regions.
The NBS further reported that the price of 1kg of white garri also showed substantial decline, dropping from N1,198.05 in October 2024 to N846.69 in October 2025 — a 29.33% year-on-year reduction.
Month-on-month, garri prices decreased by 2.88% from the N871.78 recorded in September 2025, reflecting stabilising cassava production.
Similarly, the average price of loose tomatoes (1kg) declined to N1,269.17, down 13.43% from N1,465.99 a year earlier and 0.83% lower than the September 2025 price.
Despite tomatoes being highly price-sensitive due to weather and logistics, the data shows improved supply conditions across major farming states.
The NBS report shows significant disparities in staple food prices across Nigeria’s 36 states.
NBS noted that, for local rice (1kg), Ogun State recorded the highest average price at N2,163.23, while Yobe offered the lowest at N1,523.47.
A similar pattern appeared in the price of brown beans (1kg), with Imo State posting the highest cost at N2,174.09 and Yobe once again recording the cheapest at N1,263.68.
In the case of garri white (1kg), Bayelsa topped the national price chart at N1,165.30, contrasting sharply with Plateau State’s N490.10, which stood at less than half the national average.
Tomatoes (1kg) also reflected wide state-by-state variations: Ebonyi recorded the highest average price at N2,224.04, while Plateau offered the most affordable tomatoes at N687.09.
According to the Bureau, these wide variations highlight deep structural differences in transportation costs, market accessibility, storage infrastructure, and regional production patterns across the country.
At the regional level, the data reveals notable differences in food prices across Nigeria’s zones.
The North-central region recorded the highest average price for local rice at N2,021.70, whereas the North-east had the lowest average price at N1,803.38.
For brown beans, the highest prices were found in the South-east and South-west regions, averaging N2,105.94 and N2,081.33, respectively.
In contrast, the North-west zone offered the lowest average price at N1,349.23.
When it comes to garri white, the South-east remained the priciest region with an average of N1,066.85, followed by the South-south at N980.44.
Meanwhile, the North-central zone recorded the lowest average price of N630.44.
