The cost of eating healthy in Nigeria climbed again in April 2026, with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) putting the national average at ₦1,589 per adult daily, a 3.12 per cent rise from ₦1,541 in March.
The NBS, in its latest Cost of a Healthy Diet report, said prices rose across nearly every food group except starchy staples, pushing the cost of healthy eating up faster than both general and food inflation for the month.
Animal-source foods remained the priciest group, making up 40 per cent of total diet costs despite supplying just 13 per cent of calories. Fruits and vegetables were the most expensive per calorie, accounting for 16 per cent and 14 per cent of total costs respectively, while contributing only 7 per cent and 5 per cent of calories. Legumes, nuts and seeds stayed the cheapest option, at 7 per cent of total cost.
State-by-state, Ekiti (₦2,036), Imo (₦2,018) and Bayelsa (₦1,909) had the highest daily costs, while Adamawa (₦1,143), the FCT (₦1,278) and Akwa Ibom (₦1,314) had the lowest. Regionally, the South-East topped the chart at ₦1,830 daily, followed by the South-West at ₦1,753, while the North-East recorded the lowest at ₦1,415.
The figures underline the growing strain on Nigerian households as food prices keep climbing nationwide.
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