Nigeria's Food Inflation Hits 12.12% in February 2026

In February 2026, Nigeria's food inflation rate increased to 12.12% year-on-year, a rise from 8.89% in January 2026, marking a return to double-digit territory after a brief period of single-digit inflation. This increase of 3.23 percentage points reflects significant price pressures on household food costs, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The average annual food inflation rate for the twelve months ending February 2026 stood at 19.08%, a sharp decline from 37.40% recorded in February 2025. Month-on-month, food prices rose by 4.69% in February 2026, attributed to rising prices of staple items such as beans, carrots, and cassava.

Regional disparities were noted, with Kogi recording the highest food inflation rate at 26.91%, while Katsina experienced the slowest increase at 5.09%. The overall headline inflation rate in Nigeria slightly eased to 15.06% in February 2026 from 15.10% in January 2026.