The price of Irish potato has risen due to increased production costs, insecurity, inflation and supply disruptions.
In markets across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, baskets of Irish potatoes now sell for between N8,000 and N10,000.
Chief Executive Officer, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Olufemi Oladunni, attributed the persistent rise in prices to escalating farm input costs, insecurity in production areas and weakening local supply.
‘While demand is increasing, production is reducing. Potato still has enormous unexploited potential to contribute to food security, nutrition and the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers,’ Oladunni said.
He explained that ARMTI is collaborating with the International Potato Center to develop early-maturing potato varieties that are tolerant to high temperatures and resistant to major viral diseases.
According to him, the partnership is aimed at identifying suitable varieties that are early-maturing, high-yielding, disease-resistant and possess strong eating and processing qualities capable of boosting both supply and consumer demand.
Over the last four years, Irish potato prices in Nigeria have recorded one of the sharpest increases among major food commodities, reflecting the wider inflation crisis that has eroded household purchasing power.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the national average price of Irish potatoes stood at N541.57 per kilogram in December 2022. By June 2024, the price had surged to N2,423.27 per kilogram, representing a staggering 288.5 percent year-on-year increase.
Lagos consistently recorded some of the country’s highest retail prices due to transportation costs and concentrated urban demand. By the end of 2023, a kilogram of Irish potatoes in Lagos sold for as much as N1,710.02, well above the national average.
Northern cities such as Kano maintained relatively lower prices because of their proximity to the Jos Plateau, Nigeria’s principal potato-producing belt. In contrast, Port Harcourt consumers typically paid between 20 and 30 percent more than buyers in northern markets due to the high cost of transporting produce over long distances.
A bumper harvest in mid-2024 temporarily eased pressure on consumers. Prices of a 65-kilogram bag, which had peaked between N150,000 and N180,000, crashed to about N45,000 by July 2024.
The reprieve, however, proved short-lived.By January 2026, prices had rebounded sharply, with basket prices climbing back to between N8,000 and N10,000 in major markets nationwide. Premium-grade tubers attracted even steeper premiums as supply volatility persisted.Current retail prices in Lagos and Abuja range between N447.83 and N1,343.50 per kilogram, underscoring continuing instability across the value chain.The renewed surge has coincided with another spike in diesel prices, which traders say is worsening logistics and transportation costs. Diesel prices rose from N1,245 per litre in April to an average of N1,330 per litre in May, adding fresh inflationary pressure on food commodities.
A market survey tracking 67 staple food items found that 27 commodities recorded price increases in May alone, compared with 18 in the previous month. Despite the rising prices, Nigeria’s raw potato output continues to expand modestly. Production is projected to reach 1.6 million metric tons, up from 1.5 million metric tons, growing at an average annual rate of 2.9 percent since 1966.Yet analysts say production growth has failed to keep pace with rapid urban demand and the expansion of food processing industries. Nigeria has consequently emerged as the world’s third-largest importer of potato flour. Import values jumped by 298 percent within a single year, rising from $3.98 million in 2023 to $15.85 million in 2024, according to data from UN Comtrade and Trade Map. The country’s growing reliance on imported processed potato products mirrors broader shifts in the global potato economy.
Industry estimates place the value of the global potato market at $120 billion in 2025, with projections showing expansion to $149.38 billion by 2031. Growth is being driven largely by increasing demand from frozen food manufacturers and the rapid expansion of quick-service restaurant chains worldwide.
Globally, however, climate shocks, energy costs and tightening regulations continue to fuel price volatility. Across Africa, potato production reached 34.2 million tonnes in the latest consolidated figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization. Egypt remains the continent’s dominant producer with 8.08 million tons harvested across 269,000 hectares. Algeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco and Kenya complete the list of Africa’s leading potato producers, while Nigeria remains a growing player that still depends heavily on imports for processed potato commodities. Long-term relief may eventually come from new agricultural technologies being tested across Africa. Dutch breeder Solynta, working in partnership with RegenZ, is piloting hybrid true potato seeds in Kenya and South Africa. The non-genetically modified technology requires only 25 grams of seed per hectare, compared with roughly 2,500 kilograms of conventional seed tubers, potentially reducing transport and input costs for smallholder farmers.
Meanwhile, CIP, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, recently launched a multi-country collaboration aimed at validating high-performing sweet potato varieties for large-scale deployment across Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative, introduced during an inception meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, brought together breeders, scientists and development partners from Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
Researchers say the new varieties are being assessed for yield, maturity, resilience, disease resistance and culinary qualities, alongside consumer preference and sensory analysis.
Oladunni added that orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties remain largely underappreciated in Nigeria despite their nutritional and commercial potential.