Onion Prices Jump 233% in Lagos as Floods, Transport Costs Bite

Lagos onion prices have jumped 233 per cent in four months, with a paint bucket now selling for ₦10,000, up from ₦3,000 in May. Traders and producers blame flooding in northern growing states, rising seed costs and expensive transport for the sharp increase.

The increase adds ₦7,000 to the cost of a paint bucket of onions, a common retail measure in Lagos markets. It is squeezing households, restaurants and food vendors who depend on onions for daily meals.

Wholesale and retail prices climb

Traders say a bag of onions now costs between ₦150,000 and ₦250,000, depending on size and variety. That is up from ₦50,000 to ₦70,000 in May.

The pressure is not limited to large wholesale bags. A small bag that sold for between ₦17,000 and ₦20,000 in March now costs between ₦60,000 and ₦70,000, according to traders.

Ibrahim Idris, an onion wholesaler at Oyingbo Market, said moving produce from northern Nigeria had become a major contributor to the price surge. Transportation alone now costs about ₦30,000 per bag, excluding other delivery charges to Lagos, he said.

“We sold a paint bucket of onions at N3,000 in May, but now the same quantity sells for N10,000,” Idris said.

Flooding, seed costs hit supply

The National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) attributed the supply squeeze to flooding across major producing states. The association listed Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Adamawa among the affected states.

NOPPMAN linked damage to farms with reduced availability and higher prices. It also cited rising seed costs as another challenge for producers.

Idris said supplies from Sokoto and other northern producing areas had declined during the current planting season. Flooding further reduced the quantity reaching markets, he added.

Traders also pointed to higher fuel costs and seasonal changes in production. Onion supplies are generally more plentiful during the dry season.

Storage losses and household burden

Storage remains another challenge because onions can deteriorate before they are sold. Traders commonly remove them from purchase bags and keep them in ventilated spaces. Some spread the onions in sunlight or use uncovered baskets to reduce spoilage.

One Oyingbo trader said he continued selling older stocks because newly harvested onions were more susceptible to deterioration.

For restaurants, food vendors and other small businesses, the increases raise the cost of preparing meals. Households buying smaller quantities also face a larger bill for the same ingredient. Bag sizes and onion varieties differ, so the percentage increase is not uniform across every purchase.

Nigeria’s inflation rate slowed again in August 2026, but millions of households are still paying more for food. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that headline inflation eased marginally to 15.39% in August from 15.43% in July, a decline of just 0.04 percentage points.

Reduced supplies, flood damage, higher production and transport expenses, and storage difficulties are keeping Lagos onion prices under pressure.