Nigeria’s headline inflation rate recorded a slight decline in June 2026, but millions of households are unlikely to feel any immediate relief as the cost of food continues to climb across the country.
Fresh figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that headline inflation eased marginally to 15.91% in June from 15.93% in May, ending three straight months of increases. While the slowdown suggests that overall price pressures are beginning to stabilize, food inflation continued to rise, highlighting the growing strain on consumers.
According to the report, food inflation increased to 17.52% in June from 16.96% recorded in May. The rise was driven by higher prices of essential food items, including fresh tomatoes, fresh pepper, crayfish, dried green peas, yam flour, cassava flour, garri, cowpeas, beef, bananas, Irish potatoes, water yam and yam tubers.
The NBS attributed the slight moderation in headline inflation to a decline in core inflation, which dropped to 15.92% in June from 16.82% in May. On a month-to-month basis, headline inflation also slowed to 1.66%, compared with 1.75% in May.
Despite these encouraging macroeconomic indicators, the continued increase in food prices remains the biggest concern for millions of Nigerians, as food accounts for a significant share of household spending. For many families, the rising cost of basic staples continues to erode purchasing power and deepen cost-of-living pressures.
The report also revealed wide disparities across states. On a year-on-year basis, Kogi State recorded the highest food inflation at 53.02%, followed by Niger State at 43.83% and Benue State at 40.83%. In contrast, Katsina, Rivers, and Imo states recorded the slowest annual increases in food prices.
On a month-on-month basis, Katsina experienced the sharpest jump in food inflation, followed by Kebbi and Niger states. Meanwhile, Borno, Benue, and Bayelsa recorded declines in monthly food inflation, indicating some regional variations in price movements.
The latest data underscore the complex challenge facing Africa’s largest economy. While the overall inflation trend suggests some progress in stabilizing prices, the relentless rise in food costs continues to weigh heavily on households, raising concerns about food security, consumer spending and the pace of economic recovery.
