Agriculture

Revealed! Inside Nigerian Markets Where Local Rice is Repackaged in Foreign Bags

Published

1 month ago

Feb 17, 2025.

The Rise of Rice Rebagging in Nigeria
How Nigerians Are Being Deceived and Exploited
Few Markets Involved in this act listed in the story

Foreign rice has long been the preferred choice for many Nigerian households, with consumers willing to pay significantly more for what they believe is a superior product.

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However, EkoHotBlog scooped that the high demand has created a massive fraudulent market where locally grown rice is deceitfully repackaged in foreign-branded bags and sold at inflated prices.

As a result, countless Nigerians are unknowingly paying double for rice that was actually grown and processed within the country.

This practice has become so rampant that some markets in Lagos, including Alaba Rago, Alaba Suru, and Dakeko markets in Mushin, are now notorious for engaging in this illegal trade.

Investigations have revealed that the most commonly counterfeited foreign rice brands in Nigeria are Cap Rice and Tomato Rice. These two brands are highly sought after, making them prime targets for dishonest traders looking to exploit consumer preferences.

The process of rebagging is simple yet effective: locally produced rice is removed from its original packaging and placed into empty bags of popular foreign brands.

Many unsuspecting buyers, believing they are purchasing high-quality imported rice, only realize they have been deceived when they start cooking and notice significant differences in texture, taste, and cooking time.

During the last Christmas season, thousands of Nigerians unknowingly purchased locally made rice in foreign bags, expecting the superior quality they associate with imported brands. It was only when they started cooking the rice that they discovered the deception.

Some complained that the rice contained more stones, others noticed that it took longer to cook, while some reported that the texture was different from what they were used to.

By then, however, they had already spent large sums of money on what they believed was foreign rice, only to be left feeling cheated and disappointed.

One individual involved in the illegal rebagging trade admitted that some Nigerian rice is actually of very high quality, boasting a rich fiber and starch content.

However, he noted that the major difference between local and foreign rice lies in post-harvest processing.

Foreign rice is often processed using advanced technology that ensures uniform grain size, a polished appearance, and fewer impurities.

In contrast, traditional Nigerian rice processing methods can result in broken grains, uneven textures, and occasional stones.

Because of this, many Nigerian consumers associate the cleaner, more refined appearance of foreign rice with better quality.

Fraudulent traders take advantage of this belief, repackaging Nigerian rice into foreign-branded bags to fetch much higher prices in the market.

Reports indicate that some of Nigeria’s best-quality rice is grown in the northern states, where the climate and soil conditions are ideal for rice farming.

However, rather than being sold as locally produced rice, much of this high-quality northern rice is transported to other parts of the country, where it is rebadged and passed off as imported rice.

This deceptive marketing strategy allows traders to significantly increase their profit margins while misleading consumers who are willing to pay a premium for what they believe is an imported product.

The price difference between locally grown rice and foreign rice can be as high as ₦30,000 per bag, and many Nigerians, unaware of the fraud, are willing to pay extra because they assume they are getting better quality.

Authorities have been working to crack down on this fraudulent activity, but the problem persists.

Rice

Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) seized a large quantity of rice in Maiduguri, Borno State, that was set to be rebagged and resold under foreign labels.

Investigations have also uncovered that Triovee Nigeria Limited, a company involved in the rice trade, was caught engaging in this illicit act, further exposing the widespread nature of the problem.

Beyond repackaging Nigerian-grown rice, another common trick used by fraudulent traders involves importing rice from Cotonou in Benin Republic and manipulating the weight to maximize profits.

Typically, a 50kg bag of rice can be reduced to 45kg, but it is still sold at the full price of a 50kg bag.

This means that consumers are not only being misled about the source of the rice but are also unknowingly paying for less than they bargained for.

This level of deception further highlights the extent to which dishonest traders go to exploit unsuspecting buyers.

The rise of fake foreign rice in Nigeria continues to grow, fueled by the deep-seated preference for imported rice over locally grown varieties.

Some Nigerians remain unaware of the deception, while others, even after realizing the truth, continue to purchase rebagged rice because they believe foreign rice is superior.

Unfortunately, this dishonest practice hurts Nigerian rice farmers, who work hard to produce high-quality rice but struggle to compete with the demand for imported brands.

Unless strict regulations and enforcement measures are implemented, the illegal trade in fake foreign rice will continue to flourish, leaving Nigerian consumers at the mercy of unscrupulous traders.

The government must intensify efforts to not only curb this fraudulent activity but also invest in better rice processing technology to improve the quality of locally produced rice.

Public awareness campaigns are also needed to educate Nigerians on how to identify genuine local rice and to change the mindset that foreign rice is always superior.

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Without these steps, many Nigerians will continue to fall victim to the widespread deception in the rice market, paying more for a product that, ironically, was grown on their own soil.

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