Food prices rise for sixth straight month as inflation eases

Nigeria’s food inflation accelerated in July, rising to 20.31 percent month-on-month from 17.52 percent in June, marking the sixth straight monthly rise, even as the country’s headline inflation rate slowed during the month.

The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that food inflation increased by 2.79 percentage points in July, driven by higher average prices of items including crayfish, fresh pepper, onions, carrots, rice, water yam, tomatoes, garri, plantain, beef, and eggs.

On a year-on-year basis, however, food inflation stood at 20.31 percent in July, down from 26.20 percent recorded in July 2025.

The increase in monthly food inflation highlights continued pressure on consumers despite the broader moderation in inflation. The headline inflation rate fell to 15.43 percent in July from 15.91 percent in June, while month-on-month headline inflation eased slightly to 1.57 percent from 1.66 percent.

Food prices varied sharply across states. Adamawa recorded the highest year-on-year food inflation at 51.36 percent, followed by Katsina at 30.84 percent and Zamfara at 30.65 percent, while Borno declined by -0.31 percent, Nasarawa (6.88 percent), and Kebbi (12.50 percent) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis.

On a Month-on-Month basis, however, July 2026 Food inflation was highest in Adamawa (17.02 percent), Lagos (13.48 percent), and Borno (13.26 percent), while Jigawa (-3.68 percent), Kebbi (-3.67 percent), and Bauchi (-1.85 percent) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a Month-on-Month basis

At the other end of the scale, Borno recorded a negative food inflation rate of -0.31 percent, while Nasarawa and Kebbi recorded 6.88 percent and 12.50 percent, respectively.

The monthly figures were even more pronounced in some states. Adamawa recorded the highest month-on-month food inflation at 17.02 percent, followed by Lagos at 13.48 percent and Borno at 13.26 percent.

Jigawa, Kebbi, and Bauchi, meanwhile, recorded declines of 3.68 percent, 3.67 percent, and 1.85 percent, respectively.

The NBS said the average annual food inflation rate for the 12 months ending July 2026 stood at 16.06 percent, 14.79 percentage points lower than the 30.85 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

The figures suggest that while the annual pace of food price increases has moderated significantly from a year earlier, short-term food price pressures remain uneven and can be particularly severe in some states.

For households, this means the national easing of inflation may not translate into uniform lower food bills, as the cost of staples continues to vary across regions.