Food inflation climbs to 16.96% in May

The price of foods consumed by Nigerians have continued on a steady rise, as food inflation rose from 16.06 percent to 16.96 percent in April 2026.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics report, the Food inflation rate in May 2026 on a month-on-month basis was 2.98 percent, and on a year-on-year basis, it was 16.96 percent and stood at 24.55 percent in the same month of the preceding year (May 2025).

This increase, the Bureau said can be attributed to the rate of change in the average prices of Onions (Fresh), Maize (Corn) grains, Melon (Egusi), Water Yam, Cassava Flour, Crayfish, Pepper (Fresh), Tomatoes (Fresh), Wheat Grain, Cassava Tuber, Yam Tuber, Sweet Potatoes, Ginger (Fresh), Plantain, Cow Pea, among others.

State-level analysis of the food index in May 2026, showed that on a Year-on-Year basis, food prices was highest in Adamawa (29.62percent), Kwara (28.47 percent), and Rivers (28.40 percent, while Borno (-6.53 percent), Taraba (1.13percent) and Bayelsa (5.99 percent) recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation.

On a Month-on-Month basis, however, May 2026 Food inflation was highest in Bauchi (7.73 percent), Ogun (6.86 percent) and Jigawa (6.69 percent), while Niger (-3.54 percent), Katsina (-3.48 percent), and Gombe (-2.22 percent) recorded a decline in Food inflation on a Month-on-Month basis.

Meanwhile, the headline inflation rate for the month also rose to 15.93 percent from 15.69 percent recorded in April 2026.

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At the divisional level, the three major contributors to the headline inflation were Food and non-alcoholic Beverages at 6.38 percent, Restaurants & Accommodation Services at 2.06 percent and Transport: 1.70 percent; while the least contributors were Recreation, Sport, and Culture at 0.05 percent, Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco, and Narcotics: 0.06 percent, and Insurance and Financial Services: 0.07 percent.

Also, the core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce and energy, stood at 16.82 percent in May 2026 on a year-on-year basis. On a month-on-month basis, the core inflation rate was 1.94 percent in May 2026, up by 0.92 percent compared to April 2026 (1.03%).

In May 2026, the All-Items inflation rate on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Yobe (24.94 percent), Anambra (23.29 percent), and Sokoto (22.60 percent), while Niger (3.07 perce t), Plateau (7.10 percent) and Edo (7.73 percent) recorded the lowest rise in Headline inflation on a Year-on-Year basis.

On a Month-on-Month basis, however, May 2026 recorded the highest increases in Benue (8.23 percent), Bayelsa (7.62 percent) and Borno (7.29percent), while Niger (-4.55 percent), Zamfara (-3.36percent), and Taraba (-2.67 percent) recorded a decline in the Month-on-Month inflation.