The Price of Fruits & Vegetables in Lagos

When it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables, or even seafood, people often talk about buying these from the open air market “under the bridge,” because one can get good prices there. That is, the Victoria Island side of Falomo Bridge. I finally decided to check out the place, but made a hasty departure, finding the vendors too aggressive for my comfort. It would have been okay if they just called out for me to check their celery or tomatoes, but some blocked my way and sort of got in my face, maybe so I can’t see what the other stalls were selling. Perhaps it’s not always like this, I was the only customer this morning and they’re desperate for a sale.
Anyway, we drove to a fruit and vegetable shop tucked near the corner between Mega Plaza and Park n Shop, and I think this is where I’ll get my fresh produce from now on. I was there for only a minute when a young man asked what I was looking for. He was wearing a lime green polo shirt that must be their uniform because it was only then that I noticed there were three other men wearing it. Cool, my own personal shopper! He seem to know what he was doing, picking out the right size of carrots and tomatoes, that I immediately relaxed and decided to trust him. He handled everything, knew how to tap the watermelon to check it for ripeness, and when I asked for mangoes he checked “is this for today or tomorrow?” And that’s how it went. Snatches of conversation from the other assistants and customers indicate this is how they help buyers. While the prices might be identical to the airconditioned groceries, I like being able to pick them out myself, or have a trained assistant doing it for me.

$1 = 160 naira

1 kg green beans = N400
1 pc cucumber, medium = N100
1 kg carrots = N400 [in Park N Shop, 0.388kg costs N175]
1 bulb garlic = N50
1 bunch green leaf lettuce = N300
1 kg tomatoes = N600
1 pc zucchini, medium = N100

1 pc small green apple = N100
1 pc medium avocado = N200
1 bunch medium bananas = N300
1 pc large mango = N200
1 medium Papaya or Pawpaw = N400
1 medium pineapple = N400