Food inflation drops to 16.87% in September on maize, grains decline

Food inflation has dropped to 16.87 per cent in September 2025 from 21.87 per cent in August, following a rapid decline in food prices as a result of a drop in maize and grain prices.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data released on Wednesday, food inflation contracted by 1.57 per cent month-on-month. This means that food supply in September outpaced demand, leading to deflation.

In the period, headline inflation fell to 18.02 per cent, down from 20.12 percent in August 2025.

The NBS reports that the average prices of maize, grains, garri, beans, millet, potatoes, eggs, fresh tomatoes, and peppers were major drivers of the decline in September.

Experts pin the drop recorded in Nigeria’s food and headline inflation to the ongoing harvests occurring across several food commodities.

Analysis by state shows that food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Ekiti at 28.68 percent, Rivers at 24.18 percent, and Nasarawa at 22.74 percent.