The national average cost of maintaining a healthy diet in Nigeria rose to N1,541 per adult per day in March 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This represents a 1.89 per cent increase from M1,513 recorded in February 2026, highlighting continued pressure on household food affordability and nutrition across the country.
The figures were contained in the NBS Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) report released on Tuesday, which tracks the minimum cost of eating a balanced and nutritious diet using locally available foods.
The report showed a steady upward trend in the cost of healthy diets over the past year. Compared to March 2025, when the figure stood at N1,477, the cost increased by 4.38 per cent year-on-year.
According to the NBS, the Cost of a Healthy Diet reflects the cheapest combination of locally available foods that can meet internationally recognised nutritional standards. It is widely used as an indicator of both physical and economic access to healthy food.
The agency noted that the consistent rise has implications for food security, nutrition planning, agricultural policy, and social protection programmes.
The report also revealed significant variations across geopolitical zones.
The South-East recorded the highest average cost at N1,899 per day, followed by the South-West at N1,801 per day.
The North-East recorded the lowest average cost at N1,233 per day.
At state level, Ekiti State recorded the highest cost at N2,091 per day, followed by Imo State at N2,052 and Abia State at N1,970.
On the lower end, Adamawa State recorded the cheapest healthy diet at N1,004 per day, followed by the Federal Capital Territory at N1,113 and Taraba State at N1,149.
The NBS said the rise was driven by price increases across most food groups.
While the prices of starchy staples and vegetables recorded some declines, most other food categories saw increases.
Animal-source foods remained the most expensive component of a healthy diet, accounting for 39 per cent of total cost while contributing only 13 per cent of total calories.
Fruits and vegetables were also relatively costly compared to their calorie contribution, jointly accounting for about 30 percent of total diet cost but providing a small share of total energy intake.
In contrast, legumes, nuts and seeds remained the least expensive food group, accounting for about seven per cent of total cost.
The NBS noted that the data is intended to help policymakers identify gaps in food supply chains and improve affordability of nutritious diets for vulnerable households.
It added that the rising cost underscored the need for targeted interventions in food production, market efficiency, and social protection systems to address growing nutrition challenges.
The report concluded that the sustained increase in healthy diet costs reflects broader inflationary pressures affecting food systems nationwide.
