Data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s food inflation rate rose to 12.12 per cent year-on-year in February 2026.
The latest data signals a reversal of the single-digit level recorded in January and renewed pressure on household food costs.
The indicator increased from 8.89 per cent in January 2026 to 12.12 per cent in February, representing a rise of 3.23 per cent.
The latest figure, even though higher than what was recorded in January, is significantly lower than the level recorded a year earlier.
According to the NBS report, the Food inflation rate in February 2026 was 12.12 per cent on a year-on-year basis. This was 14.86 percentage points lower compared to the rate recorded in February 2025 (26.98 per cent).
On a month-on-month basis, food prices rose by 4.69 per cent in February, reflecting a resurgence in short-term price pressures across food markets. The statistics office attributed the increase to rising prices of several staple items across the country.
The report attributed the rise to the rate of increase in the average prices of Beans, Carrots, Okazi Leaf, Cassava Tuber, Crayfish, Millet Flour, Yam Flour, Snails, Avenger (Ogbono/Apon) – dried ungrinded, cow peas, among others.
The NBS said the average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve months ending February 2026 stood at 19.08 per cent, representing a sharp drop from 37.40 per cent recorded in February 2025.
State-level data showed significant variations in food price movements across the country. On a year-on-year basis, Kogi recorded the highest food inflation rate at 26.91 per cent, followed by Adamawa at 23.12 per cent and Benue at 21.89 per cent.
Conversely, Katsina recorded the slowest increase in food prices at 5.09 per cent, while Bauchi and Imo posted 7.09 per cent and 7.65 per cent, respectively.
On a month-on-month basis, Bayelsa recorded the highest increase in food prices at 8.81 per cent, followed by Ebonyi at 8.51 per cent and Edo at 7.72 per cent.
Meanwhile, Katsina recorded a slight decline in food inflation at minus 0.70 per cent, while Nasarawa and Kano recorded increases of 0.17 per cent and 1.39 per cent, respectively.
