Healthy diet costs rose fastest in Nigeria’s North-West over two years

  • Healthy diet costs rose 49% nationally in two years.
  • North-West states recorded the fastest increases.
  • All seven North-West states rose above the national average.
  • Katsina and Kogi recorded the steepest increases, at 98%.
  • Akwa Ibom had the lowest increase, at 5%.

Food has felt more expensive for many Nigerians. Nigeria’s food inflation stood at 16.1% in April 2026, and the cost of a healthy diet shows how much pressure households have faced over the past two years.

Healthy diet costs rose fastest in Nigeria’s North-West. All seven North-West states recorded increases above the national average of 49%, with Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Jigawa all rising by more than 70%.

In Katsina, a healthy daily diet that cost about ₦700 per adult in April 2024 required about ₦1,400 by March 2026. Kogi saw almost the same shift, while Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, and Zamfara also recorded increases above 80%.

At the other end, Akwa Ibom recorded the lowest increase at 5%, followed by the FCT at 9% and Oyo at 13%.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics

Period:

March 2026
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The national average Cost of Healthy Diet (CoHD) in Nigeria increased by over 74% in 2024, surging from ₦858 in January to ₦1,495 in December
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