Food inflation hits 20.31% in July, fifth straight monthly rise
By Aboki Forex —
Nigeria's food inflation rate rose to 20.31 percent in July from 17.52 percent in June, a jump of 2.79 percentage points. This is the fifth consecutive month of increase since March 2026, and the first time the food inflation rate has crossed the 20 percent mark since February 2021.
NBS report
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for July 2026. According to the bureau, the food inflation rate in July 2026 was 20.31 percent on a year-on-year basis, compared with 26.2 percent in July 2025.
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation was 5.56 percent in July, up by 1.82 percentage points from June 2026, which recorded 3.75 percent.
The NBS attributed the rise to increases in the average prices of crayfish, fresh pepper, fresh onions, fresh carrots, rice, water yam, fresh tomatoes, garri, plantain, beef, egg, guinea corn, ginger, and plantain flour, among others.
State-by-state breakdown
On a year-on-year basis, food inflation was highest in Adamawa at 51.36 percent, followed by Katsina at 30.84 percent and Zamfara at 30.65 percent. Borno recorded the slowest rise at -0.31 percent, with Nasarawa at 6.88 percent and Kebbi at 12.50 percent.
On a month-on-month basis, Adamawa again recorded the highest food inflation at 17.02 percent, followed by Lagos at 13.48 percent and Borno at 13.26 percent. Jigawa saw the slowest rise at -3.68 percent, with Kebbi at -3.67 percent and Bauchi at -1.85 percent.
Headline inflation falls
Meanwhile, headline inflation declined for the second consecutive month. It fell by 0.48 percentage point to 15.43 percent in July from 15.91 percent in June. The drop was driven mainly by a deceleration in core inflation, which slowed to 14.97 percent in July from 15.92 percent in June.
Month-on-month headline inflation also moderated to 1.57 percent in July, compared with 1.66 percent in June. This means the rate of increase in the average price level in July was lower than in June.
For consumers, the sustained rise in food inflation remains a major pressure point. While overall inflation is cooling, food prices are still climbing, meaning households continue to feel the strain at the market.