Lagos Butchers Blame Beef Price Hike on Flooding and Transport Disruptions in 2025
By [Your Name], Economic and Agriculture Correspondent
Published: July 20, 2025
Lagos, Nigeria’s bustling commercial hub, is grappling with a sharp increase in beef prices, with a kilogram now costing ₦7,000, up from ₦5,000 just months ago—a 40% surge. The Lagos State Butchers Association has pinpointed severe flooding in northern Nigeria and transportation disruptions as the primary drivers of this crisis, compounded by opportunistic price inflation by some traders. As one of West Africa’s largest beef-consuming regions, Lagos faces significant challenges that threaten household budgets, food security, and the livelihoods of butchers. This article delves into the causes of the price hike, its impacts, proposed solutions, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s food supply chain.
Causes of the Beef Price Hike
Flooding in Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria, a key cattle-rearing region, has been hit hard by flooding in 2025, disrupting the supply chain for beef to southern markets like Lagos. The Lagos State Butchers Association, led by patron Alhaji Bamidele Kazeem, reports that floods have damaged critical roads and infrastructure, making it difficult to transport cattle from northern states to Lagos. “The flooding in the North has affected how cows are brought down to Lagos. Transporting them is now more difficult and expensive,” Kazeem told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
These floods, attributed to poor infrastructure and climate challenges, have destroyed farmlands and disrupted livestock movement, echoing the devastation of 2022 when over 600 people were killed and 1 million displaced. In 2024, floods killed nearly 200 and destroyed 107,000 hectares of farmland, further straining Nigeria’s agricultural output. The reliance on northern cattle, with breeds like White Fulani and Red Bororo, makes Lagos vulnerable to such environmental disruptions.
Transportation Challenges
The cost of transporting cattle has skyrocketed due to flood-damaged roads and rising fuel prices. Kazeem noted that logistics costs have surged, with transporters now charging significantly more to navigate damaged routes. A 2018 report highlighted that transporting a truckload of cattle from Kano to Lagos cost ₦150,000–₦170,000, but by 2025, this has risen to approximately ₦350,000, driven by inflation and infrastructure woes. Additionally, many cattle are sourced from neighboring countries like Niger and Chad, where exchange rate fluctuations and import logistics further inflate costs. Butcher Isa Ahmed reported that cows previously priced at ₦1.1–₦1.15 million now cost ₦1.2–₦1.3 million, with some reaching ₦1.6–₦2 million by March 2025.
Opportunistic Price Inflation
Beyond environmental and logistical issues, some traders are exploiting the crisis to inflate prices artificially. Kazeem accused retailers of capitalizing on supply disruptions to hike prices, stating, “You know our people, they take the slightest opportunity to hike prices.” Another butcher, speaking anonymously, attributed the volatility to “retailer greed,” suggesting that vendors exaggerate inflation to maximize profits. This practice exacerbates the financial strain on consumers and butchers, who face shrinking profit margins.
Impacts on Lagos and Beyond
Strain on Household Budgets
Lagos, consuming over 6,000–8,000 cows daily, is one of West Africa’s largest beef markets. The price surge to ₦7,000 per kilogram has put beef out of reach for many households, particularly amid Nigeria’s broader food inflation crisis, which remains among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. With 32 million Nigerians facing acute hunger—10% of the global burden—the rising cost of beef deepens food insecurity and widens inequality. Consumers are forced to seek alternatives like chicken or bush meat, though the latter raises concerns about illegal wildlife trade and health risks.
Threat to Butchers’ Livelihoods
The Lagos State Butchers Association warns that the soaring cost of cows—now ranging from ₦700,000 to ₦2 million—threatens the survival of the industry. The number of cows slaughtered daily in Lagos has dropped from 5,000 to 3,000 since 2015, driven by economic challenges, inflation, and earlier disruptions like the Boko Haram insurgency. Chairman Alhaji Taiwo Rasak noted that many butchers are struggling to maintain profit margins, with some at risk of shutting down during high-demand periods like Ramadan.
Broader Supply Chain Issues
Nigeria’s beef supply chain is plagued by inefficiencies, including poor infrastructure, reliance on long-distance cattle transport, and lack of modern ranching systems. The absence of reliable rail systems forces dependence on road transport, which is vulnerable to flooding and fuel price hikes. Additionally, herder-farmer conflicts and cattle rustling in northern regions disrupt supply, while weak governance fails to address exploitative pricing practices.
Proposed Solutions
The Lagos State Butchers Association has called for urgent government intervention to address the crisis:
- Improved Rail Systems: Kazeem emphasized that upgrading Nigeria’s rail infrastructure could reduce transportation costs and stabilize prices. Efficient rail systems would bypass flood-damaged roads and lower logistics expenses, making cattle transport more affordable.
- Investment in Ranching: The association advocates for ranching as a long-term solution to reduce reliance on northern cattle and transhumance routes. The Eko Ranching project, supported by the Lagos State Government, aims to promote local cattle rearing, improve hygiene, and enhance food security. By fostering local production, ranching could mitigate the impact of environmental disruptions and import costs.
- Government Funding and Loans: Butchers are seeking palliative loans and subsidies to bridge the gap between supply and demand. Chairman Rasak highlighted the need for efficient disbursement to support butchers and farmers, ensuring they can sustain operations despite high cattle prices.
- Regulatory Oversight: Addressing retailer greed requires stronger market regulation to prevent artificial price inflation. Policies to monitor and stabilize pricing could protect consumers and butchers from exploitative practices.
Challenges to Implementation
Implementing these solutions faces significant hurdles:
- Infrastructure Deficiencies: Nigeria’s rail system remains underdeveloped, with projects like the Lagos-Kano railway facing delays and funding issues.
- Ranching Resistance: Transitioning to ranching is capital-intensive and faces resistance from herders accustomed to open grazing. Conflicts over land use and legal ownership complicate adoption.
- Economic Constraints: Nigeria’s economic challenges, including inflation and currency devaluation, limit government capacity to fund subsidies or infrastructure upgrades.
- Weak Enforcement: Regulatory oversight to curb price gouging is hampered by corruption and lack of coordination, allowing exploitative practices to persist.
Broader Implications
The beef price hike reflects Nigeria’s broader food security crisis, exacerbated by climate change, poor infrastructure, and economic instability. Without intervention, rising costs could deepen hunger, reduce protein consumption, and strain urban economies like Lagos. The push for ranching and rail investment aligns with calls for agricultural modernization, but success hinges on political will and stakeholder collaboration. Initiatives like the Eko Ranching project could serve as a model for other states, reducing reliance on volatile supply chains and fostering local resilience.
Conclusion
The 2025 beef price hike in Lagos, driven by northern flooding, transport disruptions, and retailer opportunism, underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s food supply chain. With beef prices soaring to ₦7,000 per kilogram and cow costs reaching ₦2 million, butchers and consumers face unprecedented challenges. Solutions like improved rail systems, ranching, and government funding offer hope, but implementation requires overcoming significant logistical and economic barriers. As Lagos navigates this crisis, coordinated action between the government, butchers, and farmers is critical to stabilize prices, ensure food security, and protect livelihoods.
Disclaimer: This article is based on available data as of July 2025. Readers are encouraged to verify pricing and policy updates through trusted sources.