Nigeria's overall inflation rate dipped slightly in June 2026, but Nigerians shopping for food are unlikely to have noticed the difference. While headline inflation eased marginally from 15.93% in May to 15.91% in June, food inflation moved in the opposite direction, climbing from 16.96% to 17.52% in the same period, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Food staples drive price increases
The NBS report specifically flagged everyday Nigerian food staples as drivers of the food inflation rise, including garri, yam tuber, yam flour, crayfish, fresh tomatoes, fresh pepper, beef, cassava flour, cowpea, Irish potatoes, banana, and water yam. These items are the building blocks of the average Nigerian meal, and their continued price increase means households are spending more at the market even as the government points to easing inflation as a sign of economic progress.
Why food prices are rising separately
Overall inflation and food inflation are measured differently. The headline inflation figure covers a broad basket of goods and services, including housing, transport, clothing, and utilities. When prices in those categories slow down, they can pull the overall number down even if food prices are going the other way. That is precisely what happened in June. A drop in core goods prices, including transport, dragged headline inflation slightly lower, masking the fact that food costs continued to climb.
Month-on-month acceleration
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation jumped by 0.77 percentage points in June compared to May, meaning the rate at which food prices are rising actually accelerated last month. On a yearly basis, food inflation was most severe in Kogi, Niger, and Benue. However, on a month-on-month basis, residents of Katsina, Kebbi, and Niger recorded the sharpest single-month rises in food prices in June. States where food price increases slowed included Borno, Benue, and Bayelsa.
