Food inflation in Nigeria climbed to 16.06 percent in April 2026. This marks a jump from the 14.31 percent recorded in March.
Year-on-year comparisons tell a different story. April's rate sits well below the 24.68 percent reached in the same month last year.
The National Bureau of Statistics blamed rising costs for key staples. Millet, yam flour, fresh ginger, and beef topped the list of culprits.
Garri prices surged alongside other items. Yam tubers, fresh peppers, crayfish, and cassava also pushed numbers higher.
Beans, Irish potatoes, and fresh tomatoes continued straining household budgets. Wheat grain and soybeans added further pressure to the index.
But Nigeria's food crisis isn't uniform across states. Enugu experienced the sharpest year-on-year spike at 32.67 percent.
Kwara followed closely behind with 30.77 percent inflation. Adamawa recorded 30.14 percent, completing the trio of worst-hit states.
Relief came in the northeast and north-central regions. Borno saw just 1.67 percent year-on-year growth in food costs.
Jigawa managed 6.17 percent while Taraba reached 7.19 percent. Month-on-month, however, different states faced different pressures.
Niger state saw the steepest monthly increase at 8.53 percent. Bauchi and Kogi followed with 6.78 and 6.72 percent respectively.
Some areas got relief on a monthly basis. Kebbi's food inflation barely moved at 0.23 percent.
Katsina recorded 0.47 percent while Bayelsa dropped to 1.29 percent. These declines offered rare good news for consumers in those states.
National headline inflation reached 15.69 percent year-on-year in April. March had logged 15.38 percent, showing a marginal deterioration.
Monthly headline inflation told a brighter tale. At 2.13 percent, it fell from March's 4.18 percent rate.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages drove most inflation pressures. They accounted for 6.40 percent of the headline increase.
Restaurants and accommodation services contributed 3.56 percent. Transport added another 1.70 percent to overall price growth.
Urban areas recorded 15.40 percent year-on-year inflation. Rural regions experienced steeper pressure at 16.36 percent.
Core inflation, which excludes farm and energy items, stood at 15.86 percent. Monthly core inflation was significantly lower at just 1.03 percent.
The NBS implemented major changes to its methodology. It now uses 2024 as the base year for calculations.
Weight references shifted to 2023 data. Nigeria's Consumer Price Index climbed to 138.3 in April.
That represented a 2.9-point jump from March. The rebasing exercise reshaped how inflation gets measured going forward.
