Beans, once regarded as one of Nigeria’s most affordable sources of protein, is increasingly becoming a luxury for many households in Lagos as prices surge and consumers are forced to rethink what goes into their cooking pots.
Across markets and neighbourhoods, the impact of the price increase is being felt not only by households but also by bean sellers and akara producers, who are struggling to balance rising costs with customers’ shrinking purchasing power.
The price of a derica of beans has risen to between N1,200 and N1,300, from about N500 to N800 between April and June, according to findings by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The sharp increase has changed buying habits. Consumers who once purchased beans routinely in sizeable quantities are now buying less, buying less frequently or replacing it with relatively cheaper staples such as rice, garri and spaghetti.
For families already trying to stretch household incomes amid rising food costs, the development represents another squeeze on the food budget.
At Olaogun Street, Costain, a beans seller, Mr Monday Chukwu, said the increase was largely seasonal rather than a result of an outright shortage.
According to him, bean prices typically rise during the off-season, when traders who stored supplies from the earlier production period are better positioned to benefit.
“It would only take about three months for everything to return to normal,” he said.
Chukwu said the price of a 50kg bag of beans had risen from N125,000 in April to N160,000 in August, making it increasingly difficult for some consumers to maintain their usual purchases.
His explanation offers little comfort to consumers who are already feeling the pinch.
For them, whether the increase is seasonal or caused by supply pressures makes little difference at the point of purchase. What matters is that the same quantity of beans now costs significantly more.
The pressure is particularly visible among small food businesses.
At St. Paul Primary School in the Costain area, akara seller Mrs Okorie said traders were being forced to devise new strategies simply to remain in business.
She said a cup of beans that previously sold for N200 now costs N250, while the quantity used to make akara has also been reduced.
“The size of the bean cake makes consumers dissatisfied and aggrieved,” she said.
The situation highlights the difficult balancing act facing akara sellers. Increasing prices risks driving customers away, while maintaining previous prices without adjusting quantity or margins could threaten the survival of their businesses.
At Oyingbo Market, wholesale trader Mr Amos Ogbonna also linked the increase to the off-season and warned that prices could rise further.
Ogbonna said traders who stored beans were taking measures to prevent spoilage, including using dry pepper as a preservative.
Despite the increase, he said he had continued buying his usual quantities because his customers understood that price fluctuations were largely beyond the control of retailers.
But not every consumer is able or willing to absorb the additional cost.
For Mrs Mary Chigozie, a Lagos resident and self-described lover of beans, the price increase has forced her household to reconsider its food choices.
She said sellers added as much as N500 to the previous price in August, making it increasingly difficult for her family to consume beans as frequently as before.
“It could be a seasonal default,” she said, but expressed dissatisfaction with the speed at which the price rose.
Her response has been to consider alternatives, including rice, garri and spaghetti.
The shift illustrates how food inflation can gradually alter household diets. A product may remain available in the market, but when its price rises beyond what families can comfortably afford, consumers begin to substitute it, reduce consumption or remove it from their regular menu.
For traders, the impact is equally significant.
NAN findings indicate that some sellers are reducing their bulk purchases and opting for smaller quantities in response to weaker demand. Consumers, too, are buying beans less frequently.
Yet some traders continue to purchase in large quantities.
Mrs Christabel Esezua, a trader on Ibadan Street, said she had not reduced her purchases because she believed her customers understood the unpredictable nature of the commodity.
“I still buy in large quantities,” she said.
Her confidence, however, exists alongside a market increasingly defined by uncertainty.
For Lagos households, the bean price surge is therefore more than a temporary market adjustment. It is another reminder of how rapidly the cost of basic food items can reshape family budgets, consumer choices and small businesses.
While traders expect prices to moderate when the next production cycle improves supply, consumers are left to navigate the immediate reality: the humble plate of beans is no longer as cheap as it used to be.
