Lagos, Zamfara, Enugu Lead Nigeria's Most Expensive States as Inflation Hits 15.39%

Nigeria's headline inflation rate eased marginally to 15.39% in August 2026 from 15.43% in July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. But the national moderation hid sharp pressure in several states, with Lagos recording the highest headline inflation rate at 23.7%, followed by Zamfara at 22.6% and Enugu at 22.1%.

The NBS ranking of the 10 states with the highest headline inflation rates shows month-on-month swings of more than 13 percentage points in some states.

Lagos, Zamfara and Enugu top the table

Lagos topped the list at 23.7%, up sharply from 16.3% in July, a 7.4 percentage point rise in one month. Food inflation in the state accelerated to 30.9% from 26.8%. There is no publicly available standalone inflation-specific policy document detailing measures taken by the Lagos State Government in response to the August figures.

Zamfara, the only North-West state on the list, ranked second at 22.6%, up from 19.8% in July, an increase of 2.8 percentage points. Food inflation climbed to 38.0% from 30.7%, a 7.3 percentage point jump. The state has not issued a specific standalone policy statement addressing the rising inflation rate.

Enugu placed third at 22.1%, up sharply from 13.8% in July, an 8.3 percentage point increase. Food inflation, however, moderated to 15.3% from 20.8%.

Delta, Adamawa and the rest of the top 10

Delta recorded 19.6%, down from 22.6% in July, a 3.0 percentage point decline, with food inflation falling to 21.2% from 28.1%. The Delta State Executive Council, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, approved upward reviews of ongoing infrastructure and construction contract prices to reflect higher market costs for building materials.

Adamawa came fourth at 19.4%, down sharply from 33.0% in July, a 13.6 percentage point decline. Food inflation fell from 51.4% to 38.9%, still one of the highest rates among Nigerian states. The state approved an upward review of the minimum monthly pension for retired civil servants to N50,000.

Rivers ranked sixth at 19.1%, up from 14.0% in July, a 5.1 percentage point rise. Food inflation rose to 28.4% from 22.2%.

Akwa Ibom followed at 18.6%, down from 19.9% in July, a 1.3 percentage point decline. Food inflation fell to 9.6% from 17.1%, one of the lowest rates among the top 10.

Anambra recorded 16.0%, down from 24.0% in July, an 8.0 percentage point decline. Food inflation fell to 11.2% from 16.8%.

Osun also recorded 16.0%, but rose from 10.6% in July, a 5.4 percentage point increase. Food inflation climbed to 23.8% from 12.9%. Governor Ademola Adeleke backed price-moderation initiatives involving the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers, including interventions by the Ooni of Ife, Oluwo of Iwo and Timi of Ede.

Ondo completed the list at 15.1%, down from 17.3% in July, a 2.2 percentage point decline. Food inflation fell sharply to 15.8% from 26.0%. The state revised its 2026 budget from N524.4 billion to N769.4 billion, an increase of N245 billion, targeting infrastructure, water supply, healthcare and road projects, with the government citing persistent inflation and the impact of subsidy removal.

What the numbers mean

Food inflation remains the biggest pressure point, particularly in Adamawa at 38.9%, Zamfara at 38.0%, Lagos at 30.9% and Rivers at 28.4%. The ranking is by inflation rate, not by the absolute cost of living.