Food inflation rate continues on a steady rise to 16.06% in April

Nigeria’s food inflation continued its steady ascent, reaching 16.06 percent in April 2026 on a year-on-year basis. This figure surpasses the 14.31 percent recorded in March, indicating sustained pressure on food prices across the federation.

Despite the monthly uptick, food inflation for April remained significantly lower than the 24.68 percent documented in April 2025, according to the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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Commodities driving price surges

The NBS attributed the current increase to rising average prices for essential staples, including millet whole grain, yam flour, fresh ginger, beef, and garri. Other significant contributors to the index include yam tubers, fresh pepper, crayfish, cassava tubers, beans, Irish potatoes, and fresh tomatoes.

Further price pressures were observed in wheat grain, soy beans, guinea corn, plantain, and fresh carrots.

Regional disparities in food costs

A state-level analysis of the food index for April 2026 reveals significant geographical variations. On a year-on-year basis, food inflation was most acute in Enugu (32.67 percent), Kwara (30.77 percent), and Adamawa (30.14 percent). Conversely, Borno (1.67 percent), Jigawa (6.17 percent), and Taraba (7.19 percent) recorded the slowest growth in food costs.

On a month-on-month basis, Niger (8.53 percent), Bauchi (6.78 percent), and Kogi (6.72 percent) experienced the highest increases. In contrast, Kebbi (0.23 percent), Katsina (0.47 percent), and Bayelsa (1.29 percent) recorded a decline in food inflation during the period.

Headline and urban-rural indices

The national headline inflation rate for April 2026 stood at 15.69 percent on a year-on-year basis, a marginal increase from the 15.38 percent reported in March 2026. However, the month-on-month headline rate was 2.13 percent, representing a 2.05 percent decrease from the 4.18 percent recorded in March.

The primary drivers of headline inflation were food and non-alcoholic beverages (6.40 percent), followed by restaurants and accommodation services (3.56 percent) and transport (1.70 percent). The urban inflation rate reached 15.40 percent year-on-year, while rural inflation climbed to 16.36 percent.

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Core inflation and structural changes

Core inflation, which excludes volatile agricultural produce and energy, stood at 15.86 percent year-on-year. Monthly core inflation settled at 1.03 percent, a sharp 3.0 percent decline from the 4.03 percent recorded in March.

The NBS noted that this report follows a comprehensive rebasing exercise, now utilising a 2024 base year and a 2023 weight reference period. This structural shift increased the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to 138.3 in April 2026, reflecting a 2.9-point increase from the previous month.