Nigeria’s food inflation rate rose to 20.31 per cent in July from 17.52 per cent in June, an increase of 2.79 percentage points. The figure marks the fifth consecutive monthly rise since March 2026 and the first time food inflation has exceeded 20 per cent since February 2021.
The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed the data in its Consumer Price Index report for July 2026. On a year-on-year basis, the food inflation rate stood at 20.31 per cent, compared with 26.2 per cent in July 2025. Month-on-month, food inflation accelerated to 5.56 per cent in July, up 1.82 percentage points from the 3.75 per cent recorded in June.
Drivers of the Increase
The bureau attributed the rise to higher average prices of several staple items. These included crayfish, fresh pepper, fresh onions, fresh carrots, rice, water yam, fresh tomatoes, garri, plantain, beef, egg, guinea corn, ginger and plantain flour, among others.
State-Level Variations
Year-on-year food inflation was highest in Adamawa at 51.36 per cent, followed by Katsina at 30.84 per cent and Zamfara at 30.65 per cent. The slowest increases were recorded in Borno at -0.31 per cent, Nasarawa at 6.88 per cent and Kebbi at 12.50 per cent.
On a month-on-month basis, Adamawa again posted the sharpest rise at 17.02 per cent, followed by Lagos at 13.48 per cent and Borno at 13.26 per cent. The slowest month-on-month changes were in Jigawa at -3.68 per cent, Kebbi at -3.67 per cent and Bauchi at -1.85 per cent.
Headline Inflation Continues to Ease
In contrast to the upward trend in food prices, headline inflation declined for the second consecutive month. It fell 0.48 percentage point to 15.43 per cent in July from 15.91 per cent in June. The moderation was driven mainly by a slowdown in core inflation, which eased to 14.97 per cent from 15.92 per cent.
Month-on-month headline inflation also softened to 1.57 per cent in July, compared with 1.66 per cent in June, indicating that the overall rate of price increases was lower than in the previous month.
For households, the continued climb in food inflation remains a significant pressure point. While broader inflation is cooling, rising food costs mean consumers continue to feel the strain in the marketplace.
