A renewal in rice imports from neighbors amid slowing food inflation has reestablished low prices for the staple in Nigeria.
After years of cross-border import ban, the government recently allowed back purchases of the grain from regional origins.
One of these sources is Benin, whose surplus supplies are currently smuggling into Nigeria, further cheapening the cereal.
According to Palash Jain, the chief executive at Kiara Rice Mills, Benin has had a large stockpile of paddy this year.
Besides, uptick production in traditional import origins such as India has lowered international rates, benefiting Nigeria.
The West African country leads continental rice production and its parboiled rice market is worth $5 billion annually, per the International Trade Administration (ITA).
Sometimes the country turns to rice imports worth $7.26 million versus an export trickle of $185,000, as of 2023.
Prices Cool as Inflation Eases
The return of imports by surface means in combination with easing food inflation have further lowered domestic wholesale rice rates.
Core food inflation was down by 13.12% year-on-year in October 2025 from the peak 39.16% of exactly a year back.
Hence, wholesale rates in key consumption states such as Abia and Imo in the country’s south are dipping.
They were down by at least 8% by November 17 since August 2025, as farmers’ markets courted glut supply.
Owerri market in Imo State is currently averaging 60,000 naira ($41.10) per 50 kg, versus 65,000 naira ($44.52) in August.
The same is true of Abia, with Apumiri Market’s traders starting at 45,000 naira ($30.82)/50 kg, versus 70,000 naira ($47.95) in August. And as the stats below show, rice prices in Nigeria can sometimes turn quite volatile when production slashes.
Nigeria Rice Statistics
Nigeria is Africa’s biggest rice-producing nation at 7 million tonnes a year, per the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The CBN puts annual consumption at 10.5 million tonnes, necessitating extra imports of at least 2.5 million tonnes. Demand for the grain has created an annual national rice market worth from $4 – to $5-billion annually.
As such, production and self-sufficiency have been the primary goals of the country’s National Rice Development Strategy 1. By 2014, the strategy had helped realize a national rice self-sufficiency of 65%. It was also aiming to double production from the approximately 6 million tonnes of 2008. The production aim was to reach 12.85 million tonnes in paddy production by 2018, according to Rice for Africa.
Below is a FAOSTAT table detailing the production patterns in the half decade ending 2025:
| Year | Production [tonnes] |
| 2023 | 8,902,200 |
| 2022 | 8,502,000 |
| 2021 | 8,342,000 |
| 2020 | 8,171,800 |
| 2019 | 8,435,510 |
Does Nigeria import rice?
Due to rice import controls from bordering nations, Nigeria officially imports negligible volumes of rice in certain years. In 2023, for example, it ranked 158th by import value worldwide. The World Bank reported imports at only 109.42 tonnes that year. Most of the supplies came from India at 81.52 tonnes, China at 27.76 tonnes and Japan at 122 kg. The total import value in 2023 was $7.26 million, versus exports at $185,000.
Is there rice inflation in Nigeria?
Occasional rice inflation hits Nigeria when production and consumption deficit hits. According to the ITA, declining production forced up prices of 1-kg retail rice by 152% year-on-year in May 2024. The country hence turned to imports, whose prices also rose by 44% to 50%, y-o-y.