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Nigeria’s food affordability crisis deepened in February 2026 as the average daily cost of maintaining a healthy diet climbed to N1,513 per adult.

This is according to the latest Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The report showed that the figure increased by 3.76% from N1,458 recorded in January 2026 and rose by 12.4% compared to N1,346 in February 2025, underscoring persistent pressure on household incomes amid rising food prices across the country.

The NBS explained that the Cost of a Healthy Diet measures the least expensive combination of locally available foods capable of meeting internationally recommended nutritional requirements for an adult per day, excluding transportation and cooking costs.

The report highlights widening regional disparities in the cost of accessing balanced nutrition across Nigeria. While some regions recorded significantly higher food costs, others remained relatively more affordable.

The NBS noted that food price differences across states and regions continue to reflect disparities in food availability, transportation costs, and market conditions nationwide.

The report showed that animal-source foods accounted for the largest share of healthy diet costs, contributing 39% of total CoHD despite supplying only 13% of calorie intake.

The NBS also observed sharp variations in the affordability of key food items across locations. In urban Ekiti, white beans emerged as the cheapest legume option, while soya beans were most affordable in rural Borno. For protein sources, shrimps were cheapest in urban Ekiti, while fresh milk (nono) ranked as the most affordable animal-source food in rural Borno.

Nigeria has continued to face mounting food inflation pressures driven by high transportation costs, insecurity in farming communities, currency depreciation, and supply chain disruptions.

The NBS further noted that the Cost of a Healthy Diet has been rising faster than both headline inflation and food inflation, although it clarified that the indicators are calculated using different methodologies and food baskets.

Nairametrics reported earlier that food prices in Nigeria have remained persistently high despite government interventions and food imports valued at N7.65 trillion in 2025.

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.69% in April 2026, up from 15.38% recorded in March.