Major food markets in Lagos and what they specialize in
Created at: February 10th 2021
Updated at: March 19th 2021
Major food markets in Lagos
Major food markets across Lagos sell a wide variety of food items, however, every market has its own food "specialty" - This just basically means the foods you can buy from there in bulk quantities and at wholesale prices.
This means you are more likely to get a good bargain when you visit a particular market to buy what it is known for (its specialty). For instance, Idi-oro market is known for plantain, yellow gari and farm snails while Daleko market is known for rice; So if you are buying say 50bags of rice, I will say buy it from Daleko market, not Mile 12 and if you are buying dozens of plantain bunches, I will say, buy it from Idi-oro market not Oyingbo (hope this makes sense).
However, it won't make "business" sense to visit Mile 12 and Daleko market in one day, just because you want to buy a basket of tomatoes and a bag of rice. You can simply buy both from Mile 12 since you are not buying in very large quantities......
Here's a list of Markets in Lagos and their food "specialty"
1. Iddo market
This market is just after oyingbo; Adjacent to the Lagos Terminus building (click for directions) and opposite the Iddo BRT bus-stop. This market is known for Bags of rice, beans, corn, groundnut and kegs of vegetable oil.
2. White sand market
This market is situated between Iddo and Oyingbo . It is known for egusi (the different types), ogbono, dry peppers, crayfish, different types of smoked fish, stockfish (different cuts). If you desire to buy these food items in wholesale quantities, you can a get good bargain here.
3. Oyingbo market
This market is situated at Oyingbo bus-stop (click for directions), close to Ebute Metta. Some parts of the market operate only early in the mornings. For wholesale purchase, this is a good place to source for Snails, red crayfish (okporo), vegetables ( ugu , utazi, uziza, afang, ewedu, okro, shoko,tete, bitterleaf), spices and condiments for local soups , periwinkles, bonga fish, smoked catfish, cocoyam.
4. Idi-oro market
Its right beside the LIRS (click or directions) office in Mushin, off Agege motor road, Idi-oro bus-stop, Mushin. In this market , food items you can majorly source for include - plantain (lots of it!), yellow gari , Palmoil and farm snails. The best time to buy from here is in the morning.
5. Oju iwoye market/ Alasalatu
This market is in mushin, it is the home of groceries; as a food retailer, this is one of the best places in Lagos to source for groceries in wholesale quantities and at very good prices. Some indigenous foods you can also buy wholesale here include - Smoked panla fish (eja kika), Ijebu ponmo, local vegetables, Bonga fish (smoked shawa fish) , smoked sole fish, smoked abo and apo fish, Yam flour, plantain flour, wheat, ofada rice..... Click here for directions.
6. Mile 12 market
I am not quite sure but I like to think this is the biggest food market in Lagos. Its a great place to buy the following foods in bulk quantities and at wholesale prices.
Fresh peppers - Tomatoes, tatashe, rodo, shombo/bawa, green pepper, bell pepper
tubers - Yams, sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, onions, water yam, beetroot
grains - beans (different types), guinea corn, millet. wheat, white garri, yellow garri
fruits - watermelon, garden eggs, avocado
spices - ginger, garlic, spices for peppersoup, dry red pepper
flour - cassava, yam , plantain
Vegetables - carrots, lettuce, shoko, tete, kale, aubergine, ewedu, okro, ugu, cabbage, cucumber, green peas, green beans.
Mile 12 market is off ikorodu road, after ojota, just before you start heading towards ikorodu, click for directions.
5. Jakande market, Ikosi, ketu (click for directions)
The location of the market is between Ojota and Mile 12 market off Ikorodu road, it is a fruit market where you get to buy fruits in bulk quantities and at wholesale prices. Some of these fruits include - pineapple, pawpaw, oranges, coconut, banana, watermelon, apples.
8. Makoko fish market
This market is located in a community in Yaba called Makoko. It is also known as Asejere market; a seafood market where you can buy a wide variety of fresh seafoods such as crabs, octopus, shrimps, lobsters and so many different types of fish in wholesale quantities. You can have your fish (or any other seafood) you buy cleaned and smoked . Sometimes , you can get to buy directly from the fishermen on the otherside of the market but this would depend on how early you get to the market as well as the quantity of the fish you intend to buy.
9. Epe fish market (click for Directions)
This is also a fish market located in Epe town, Freshwater fish as well as other seafoods and land animals (such as crocodiles, monitor lizards, bush meat) are sold in this market. To buy at wholesale prices, its best to get to the market early and buy from fishermen ; to locate the fishermen, walk further down when you enter the market, past the fish sellers close to the entrance.
10. Oke-arin market (click for directions)
This market is inside Lagos Island market, you can go in through Apongbon; Major Distributors of most food products have shops in this market so it's a really great place to buy in bulk quantities and at wholesale prices. The market sells a wide variety of groceries ranging from local to imported ones ( mostly packaged products). Its a busy market so you will require a lot of physical stamina to shop there. Its important to buy from reputable stores in this market so you don't end up with counterfeited products.
11) Daleko market (click for directions)
It is not so far from Oju iwoye market in Mushin. If you need 500 bags of good quality rice, you can get that easily here. However, its important to know the tricks of this market so you get to buy exactly what you have paid for. If you need a rice distributor in Daleko to buy from, kindly check the Market directory
12. Ijora Olopa market ( click for directions)
This is a wholesale market for frozen chicken, turkey, fish and other seafood products. It is located close to Iddo market, it is also close Iganmu. This market has huge cold rooms where you can buy frozen foods in wholesale quantities and at bulk prices. Some of the frozen foods sold here include
Frozen chicken ( chicken wings, chest, laps, gizzard...)
Frozen seafoods (prawns, shrimps, different types of fish)
Frozen turkey ( wings and gizzard)
13. Kara market (click for directions)
This is a livestock market located in Isheri , along Lagos- Ibadan express way after Berger in Lagos. Livestock you will get here include live rams, cows, goat; It also serves as an abattoir so when you buy your livestock, you can have them slaughtered and processed here. The prices of livestock in this market are considerably cheaper when compared to other livestock markets in Lagos.
14. Alaba Rago market (click for directions)
This is primarily a livestock market situated along the Lagos- Badagry expressway where you can buy live goats, cows and rams. Sellers bring in livestock directly from the North into this market. It is definitely a good place to buy livestock at good prices .