Prices of maize, millet and sorghum remained stable or recorded month‑on-month declines in most monitored markets in countries in the Sahel and along the Gulf of Guinea in September and October 2025, when they were generally lower than a year earlier.

In Mali, wholesale prices of sorghum were generally stable in October 2025, except in a few markets where they decreased by up to 14 percent. Wholesale prices of millet, meanwhile, fell in most markets by 7 to 15 percent, while remaining stable in a few others. These month‑on-month price developments reflected improved market supply in several areas and the replenishment of household stocks due to the ongoing cereal harvest. In most markets, sorghum and millet prices were between 30 and 50 percent below their high year-earlier values. The year-on-year price declines were supported by the delivery of food assistance and government interventions, including the sale of cereals from public stocks at subsidized prices. In Burkina Faso, wholesale prices of millet and sorghum generally fell in October by up to 15 and 20 percent, respectively, except in a few markets where they remained stable, underpinned by improved market supply due to destocking by traders, the arrival of newly harvested crops and export restrictions on cereals. Food assistance and the sale of cereals from public stocks at subsidized prices, which reduced households’ dependence on market purchases in some regions, also contributed to the decline of prices. Together, these factors contributed to pushing coarse grain prices well below their high levels from a year earlier, with decreases of up to 44 percent for millet and 42 percent for sorghum reported. In the Niger, wholesale prices of millet followed mixed trends in October, whereas prices of sorghum declined in most markets, except in a few where they remained stable. Compared to the high prices of the previous year, millet prices decreased by 24 to 45 percent, while sorghum prices fell by 37 to 56 percent in most monitored markets. These price declines were underpinned by several factors, including destocking by traders, the arrival of the first harvests from the 2025 agricultural season and the ban on agricultural exports, which supported improved market supply. In addition, targeted food distributions and the sale of cereals at subsidized prices by the government added downward pressure on coarse grain prices. In most markets across Chad, retail prices of millet, maize and sorghum recorded declines in September, with stability observed in a few others. Millet prices were 20 to 41 percent lower year-on-year, whereas prices of sorghum and maize were generally 20 to 56 percent below their levels a year earlier. These year-on-year price declines were supported by improved market supply due to the release of stocks by traders, the recent start of the 2025 cereal harvest and increased imports. Another contributing factor was the distribution of cereals by the government for sale at subsidized prices. In Senegal, the national average retail prices of locally produced and imported rice remained stable in September, when they were near and below their year-earlier levels, respectively.

In Ghana, the annual food inflation rate decreased for the ninth consecutive month in October 2025, reaching 9.5 percent, down from 11 percent in September 2025 and 22.8 percent in October 2024, according to the Ghana Statistical Service. The annual inflation rate for cereals and cereal products increased, after falling for five consecutive months, and was estimated at 7.4 percent in October 2025, well below the 16.4 percent recorded a year earlier. The downward year‑on-year trend was partially attributed to a stronger Ghanaian cedi, which appreciated to GHS 11.37/USD 1 in October 2025, from GHS 16.01/USD 1 in October 2024, easing global commodity prices and decreasing transport costs. In Benin, retail prices of maize decreased in October, while retail prices of sorghum remained stable. Prices of maize and sorghum were up to 20 and 32 percent, respectively, lower on a yearly basis, reflecting abundant market supply and weak external demand. While the export ban on staple cereals, including maize and sorghum, was lifted in June 2025, the continued application of export royalties disincentivized cross‑border trade. In Togo, retail prices of local maize registered month-on-month declines of up to 17 percent in September 2025, whereas prices of imported rice followed mixed trends. Prices of both cereals were generally near or below their year-earlier values. Nigeria’s annual food inflation rate fell for the second consecutive month in September, reaching 16.9 percent, reflecting increased food imports and the commercialization of the newly harvested 2025 cereal crops. While this marked the lowest level in five years and was significantly below the 37.8 percent recorded in September 2024, the weak naira and high transport costs contributed to keeping the annual food inflation in double digits. Moreover, the year-on‑year decline was attributed to the rebasing of the Consumer Price Index by the National Bureau of Statistics in January 2025, which involved reweighing the reference consumption basket and updating the base year from 2009 to 2024.