Nigeria’s year-on-year food inflation rose for the fourth consecutive month, from 8.89% in January 2026 to 16.96% in May.
The rate increased by 8.07 percentage points within the first five months of 2026.
May’s 16.96% rate means food prices were, on average, 16.96% higher than they were in May 2025.
Food inflation rose from 12.12% in February to 14.31% in March and 16.06% in April before reaching 16.96% in May.
Food inflation exceeded Nigeria’s 15.93% headline inflation rate in May, showing that food was a major source of renewed pressure on household expenses.
Food prices rose roughly 13.9% from January to August 2025, according to the rebased Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the National Bureau of Statistics.
Month-on-month inflation for food fluctuated, with some months seeing sharper increases than others.
Using January as a baseline, the purchasing power of money for food declined steadily, meaning households need more naira to buy the same items.
Food carries a large weight in the CPI basket, making it a major driver of overall inflation and cost-of-living increases.
