Prices of coarse grains showed mixed trends in countries of the Sahel and along the Gulf of Guinea in October and November 2024, and in many countries of the subregion, prices of coarse grains were higher on a yearly basis.

In Mali, wholesale prices of millet followed mixed trends in November 2024, while prices of sorghum remained stable or recorded seasonal declines. Prices of both millet and sorghum remained well above their levels of a year earlier in most monitored markets, reflecting conflict‑related market disruptions as well as production shortfalls of the 2024 cereal harvest in several areas. In Burkina Faso, wholesale prices of millet showed mixed trends in November, while prices of sorghum were stable or decreased, as newly harvested crops improved supplies. However, prices of both millet and sorghum were higher on a yearly basis, underpinned by low supply due to the delayed marketing of the 2024 cereal crops owing to a late start to the harvest in several areas, conflict-related market disruptions and reduced imports from neighbouring countries. In the Niger, wholesale prices of both millet and sorghum registered significant seasonal month-on-month declines in November. Prices of millet were at, or near, their year-earlier values, while prices of sorghum were near their year-earlier levels in several markets, but in a few others they remained 13 to 23 percent higher on a yearly basis. The substantial declines in prices of coarse grains in most monitored markets were driven by the good 2024 cereal harvest, forecast at an above-average level. In addition, reports suggest an improved supply of cereal imports from Benin and Nigeria, following a period of reduced cross-border trade due to the lingering effects of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sanctions. In Senegal, national average retail prices of maize, sorghum and millet declined seasonally in October and were below their year-earlier values.

In Benin, retail prices of maize remained stable or decreased by up to 20 percent in October 2024, while prices of sorghum recorded slight month-on-month increases of 2 to 3 percent across the country. Prices of maize were lower on a yearly basis in October, while prices of sorghum were near their year-earlier values, which can be partially attributed to the ban on the exports of basic food commodities, including maize, rice, millet and sorghum, that was introduced by the government in May 2024. In Nigeria, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the average prices of wheat flour and locally produced rice recorded increases in October, when they were well above their year-earlier levels. The high food prices were due to a combination of factors, including the weak national currency, reduced domestic cereal production and high transport costs. The country’s annual food inflation rate increased for the second consecutive month in October 2024, reaching 39.2 percent, up from 37.8 percent in the previous month.