Healthy Diet Costs in Nigeria Nearly Double in Under Three Years as Inflation Pressures Deepen

Household nutrition costs in Nigeria have continued on a sharp upward trajectory, with the average cost of maintaining a healthy diet rising by about 119 per cent since 2023. The escalation has been linked in part to macroeconomic pressures that followed the removal of fuel subsidy, which has amplified transport and logistics costs across the food supply chain. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics , in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition , places the average cost of a healthy diet at N1,541 per adult per day as of March 2026. The March 2026 figure reflects a continued rise from N1,498 recorded in March 2025 and N982 in March 2024, underscoring a sustained climb in food-related expenses over a three-year period. From hundreds to over a thousand naira daily Before the policy shift in 2023, the cost of a healthy diet stood significantly lower. Research tracking monthly changes shows it moved from N703 in October 2023 to N742 in November, and N786 in December of the same year, signalling an immediate upward adjustment in food costs. By February 2026, the figure had already reached N1,513 before edging up again to N1,541 in March 2026—an increase of 1.89 per cent within a single month. Taken together, the data highlights how the cost of nutritious eating has moved from the hundreds into the thousands of naira per day within a relatively short window. Regional gaps widen across the country The burden of food affordability is not evenly distributed across Nigeria. In March 2026, the South-East recorded the highest average cost of a healthy diet at N1,899 per adult daily, closely followed by the South-West at N1,801. In contrast, the North-East recorded the lowest zonal average at N1,233, reflecting significant geographic disparities in food pricing and access. At the state...