Nigeria’s food inflation rate accelerated to 20.31 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, its highest level in 10 months, despite a further moderation in the country’s headline inflation.
The latest figure was contained in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed that food inflation rose sharply from 17.52 per cent recorded in June.
The July figure represents a 2.79 percentage-point increase from the previous month and marks the highest food inflation rate since September 2025, when it stood at 20.16 per cent.
Food inflation subsequently declined to 16.30 per cent in October and 14.21 per cent in November 2025, before falling further to 10.84 per cent in December.
The downward trend continued into January 2026, when food inflation reached 8.89 per cent, but prices began accelerating again from February.
Food inflation rose to 12.21 per cent in February, 14.31 per cent in March, 16.06 per cent in April and 16.96 per cent in May before reaching 17.52 per cent in June.
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The latest increase highlights renewed pressure on household food budgets even as broader inflationary pressures eased.
Headline inflation falls
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate declined to 15.43 per cent in July from 15.91 per cent in June, representing a 0.48 percentage-point reduction.
The divergence between headline and food inflation indicates that the moderation in overall inflation has not translated into comparable relief for consumers purchasing food.
Urban inflation stood at 16.12 per cent year-on-year in July, while rural inflation was lower at 13.77 per cent.
On a month-on-month basis, urban inflation declined to 1.90 per cent from 2.13 per cent in June, while rural inflation increased to 0.78 per cent from 0.52 per cent.
Food imports decline
The rising food inflation rate comes despite a decline in Nigeria’s food and beverage imports.
NBS trade data showed that food and beverage imports stood at N1.393 trillion between January and March 2026, compared with N1.671 trillion recorded during the corresponding period of 2025, representing a decline of about 16.7 per cent.
The Federal Government has continued to introduce measures aimed at easing food prices and addressing cost-of-living pressures.
Earlier in July, the government commenced reductions in import duties on essential goods, including food staples and passenger vehicles, under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures.
The measures are intended to reduce import-related costs and improve access to essential goods.
However, the latest inflation data suggest that food prices remain under significant pressure, with the acceleration in July occurring even as the broader inflation rate moved lower.
The continued rise in food inflation therefore remains a major concern for Nigerian households, particularly given the weight of food expenditure in household consumption.
