NBS: Adamawa, Zamfara, Bayelsa Lead Food Inflation as Rate Falls to 19.57%
By Aboki Forex —
Nigeria's food inflation dropped to 19.57% year-on-year in August 2026, down from 25.30% in August 2025, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Adamawa, Zamfara and Bayelsa recorded the highest annual food inflation rates among Nigerian states, while Borno, Jigawa and Kebbi posted the lowest. On a month-on-month basis, food inflation stood at 1.02% in August, a 4.55 percentage point decline from the 5.56% recorded in July 2026.
The NBS said the slowdown reflected changes in the average prices of items including palm oil, carrots, pepper, onions, cassava flour, beef, yam flour, water yam, melon (egusi), fresh ginger, fresh fish, Irish potatoes, wheat grain, frozen chicken and turkey meat.
North and South-South carry the heaviest burden
State-level data showed wide differences in food price pressure. Adamawa recorded the highest annual food inflation rate at 38.85%, followed by Zamfara at 37.96% and Bayelsa at 36.20%. Katsina ranked fourth at 31.40%, while Lagos recorded 30.90%. Ekiti followed at 28.80%, Ebonyi and Rivers both at 28.40%, Niger at 26.50% and Kwara at 26.10%.
At the other end, Borno recorded the lowest annual rate at -4.04%, the only state on the list with a negative rate. Jigawa followed at -0.23%, while Kebbi recorded 3.47%. Kogi, Taraba and Akwa Ibom also posted relatively low rates at 8.20%, 9.30% and 9.60% respectively. Anambra came in at 11.20%, Bauchi at 12.00%, and Abuja and Kaduna both at 12.70%.
Monthly swings sharper in the north
On a month-on-month basis, Katsina recorded the highest food inflation rate in August at 9.48%, followed by Rivers at 8.86% and Osun at 8.32%. The sharpest monthly declines were recorded in Taraba at -12.42%, Borno at -12.15% and Bauchi at -8.88%.
The average annual food inflation rate for the 12 months ending August 2026 stood at 15.70%, a 14.15 percentage point decline from the 29.86% recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
What it means for households
The figures show food prices are still rising, but at a slower pace than a year ago. For consumers, that means relief is uneven. Shoppers in Adamawa, Zamfara and Bayelsa are still facing the steepest annual increases, while buyers in Borno, Jigawa and Kebbi are seeing far milder pressure. Separate NBS data showed headline inflation dropped to 15.39% in August 2026 as food prices eased.