Nigeria’s food inflation rate climbed to 20.31 percent in July 2026, marking the fifth consecutive monthly increase and intensifying pressure on consumers in Africa’s largest economy.
The latest figure represents a 2.79 percentage-point rise from 17.52 percent in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Consumer Price Index report for July.
The 20 percent food inflation threshold had not been recorded in Nigeria since February 2021.According to the NBS, food inflation stood at 20.31 percent year-on-year in July, compared with 26.2 percent in the same month of 2025. On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose to 5.56 percent from 3.75 percent in June.
The increase was linked to changes in the average prices of several food products, including rice, tomatoes, onions, fresh pepper, carrots, garri, plantain, beef, eggs, crayfish, water yam, guinea corn, ginger and plantain flour.
The impact varied considerably across Nigeria’s states. Adamawa recorded the highest year-on-year food inflation at 51.36 percent, followed by Katsina at 30.84 percent and Zamfara at 30.65 percent.
By contrast, Borno recorded a -0.31 percent year-on-year rate, while Nasarawa and Kebbi recorded 6.88 percent and 12.50 percent respectively.
On a monthly basis, Adamawa also recorded the highest increase at 17.02 percent, followed by Lagos at 13.48 percent and Borno at 13.26 percent.
Jigawa, Kebbi and Bauchi recorded monthly declines of 3.68 percent, 3.67 percent and 1.85 percent respectively.
The rise in food inflation came as Nigeria’s broader headline inflation rate moved in the opposite direction.
Headline inflation fell for the second consecutive month, declining from 15.91 percent in June to 15.43 percent in July. The NBS said the decline was driven mainly by a slowdown in core inflation, which fell from 15.92 percent to 14.97 percent.
Month-on-month headline inflation also moderated to 1.57 percent in July, compared with 1.66 percent in June.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s overall inflation rate is easing, food prices continue to present a significant challenge for households and consumers.
With food accounting for a substantial share of household spending, the continued rise in food inflation remains an important economic indicator for Nigeria and the wider African economy.
