A bag of onions is currently selling for N150,000 to N250,000 (US$113 to US$189), depending on size or variety, compared with N50,000 to N70,000 (US$38 to US$53) in May.

Musa Muhammed, a wholesaler at Cole Street, Oyingbo, attributed the increase partly to the cost of transporting onions from northern Nigeria to Lagos. He said supplies in Sokoto and other northern areas had declined during the current planting season.

Flooding has also affected onion farms in producing states including Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Adamawa. The cargo charge for transporting a bag of onions has risen to N30,000 (US$23), excluding onward transportation costs to Lagos.

“We sold a paint bucket of onions at N3,000 in May, but now the same quantity sells for N10,000,” Muhammed said. This is equivalent to an increase from around US$2.26 to US$7.55.

Traders also pointed to the seasonal nature of onion cultivation and higher fuel costs as factors affecting market prices. Supplies are generally higher during the dry season.

A small bag of onions that sold for between N17,000 and N20,000 (US$13 to US$15) in March is now priced between N60,000 and N70,000 (US$45 to US$53).

Storage remains another consideration for traders because of the crop’s perishability. Onions are commonly removed from purchase bags and kept in ventilated conditions, while some traders spread them in sunlight or store them in uncovered baskets.

One trader at Oyingbo said he continued selling old onions because new-crop supplies were more prone to spoilage. Consumers interviewed in Lagos reported reducing onion purchases in response to the higher prices.