Healthy diet cost rises to N1,541 daily, puts N70,000 minimum wage under pressure
By Aboki Forex —
The average cost of eating a healthy diet in Nigeria jumped 11.7% to N1,541 per person per day in Q1 2026, climbing from N1,380 in December 2025. The increase has wiped out the relief recorded in the previous quarter and left workers in some states spending nearly all of the minimum wage on food alone.
BudgIT's report, "The Price of Survival: Nigeria's Cost of a Healthy Diet Tracker, Q1 2026," is based on monthly Cost of a Healthy Diet data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
South records highest costs
Ekiti had the highest daily cost at N2,091 per person, followed by Imo at N2,052, Abia at N1,970, Lagos at N1,910 and Ebonyi at N1,891. Adamawa recorded the lowest at N1,004, followed by the FCT at N1,113, Taraba at N1,149, Borno at N1,244 and Bauchi at N1,273.
Eight of the 10 cheapest states are in northern Nigeria, while all 10 most expensive states are in the south.
North sees sharper increases
Taraba recorded the sharpest increase between January and March, with the cost jumping 49.3%. Gombe followed at 34.1%, Yobe at 29.9%, Cross River at 28.1%, Kano at 27% and Ogun at 26.7%.
BudgIT cautioned that percentage increases should be viewed alongside actual naira values. Taraba started January with a healthy diet cost of N769 per person per day, the lowest starting point, making its percentage increase appear particularly large.
Yobe and Oyo also saw major reversals. Yobe's healthy diet cost fell 18.6% in Q4 2025 before rising 42.5% between December and March. Oyo recorded a 19.5% decline before rebounding 40.2%.
Eight states recorded lower costs in Q1. Adamawa posted the largest decline at 26.7%, followed by Akwa Ibom at 21.6%, Ondo at 13%, Edo at 12.7%, Borno at 8.3%, the FCT at 6.3%, Rivers at 3.5% and Bayelsa at 0.3%.
The North-West recorded a 17.5% quarterly increase, almost three times the national average. BudgIT warned that this could worsen household welfare in a region already facing other vulnerabilities.
Minimum wage squeeze in Ekiti
In Ekiti, feeding one person a healthy diet would consume about 89.6% of the N70,000 minimum wage. That leaves roughly N7,261 a month for housing, transportation, electricity, education and healthcare.
BudgIT described the earlier decline as "seasonal relief, not a structural improvement," citing tighter food supplies after the harvest season and dry-season pressures across all food categories.
The increase means the minimum wage is losing ground to food inflation. For workers in high-cost states, the gap between income and basic nutrition is already severe.