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Nigeria’s food inflation increased in February, showing renewed pressure on the cost of food across the country.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index report released on Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the annual food inflation rate rose to 12.2 per cent in February, up from 8.89 per cent in January.
The statistics agency said the increase was mainly driven by higher prices of food items such as beans, yam flour, cassava tuber and crayfish.
The report also showed that food inflation on a month-on-month basis rose to 4.69 per cent in February, reversing a two-month decline. In January, the rate stood at -6.02 per cent.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate recorded a slight decline during the period. The NBS said the rate dropped marginally to 15.06 per cent in February 2026, from 15.10 per cent in January.
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was lower than the 26.27 per cent recorded in February 2025.
However, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate increased to 2.01 per cent in February, compared with -2.88 per cent recorded in January, indicating a faster rise in average prices during the month.
The NBS said the rise in food inflation was linked to increases in the average prices of several food items, including beans, carrots, cassava tuber, crayfish, millet flour, yam flour and dried ogbono.
The average annual food inflation rate for the 12 months ending February 2026 stood at 19.08 per cent, down from 37.40 per cent in February 2025.
NBS’s report reads: “The Food inflation rate in February 2026 was 12.12% on a year-on-year basis. This was 14.86% points lower compared to the rate recorded in February 2025 (26.98%). However, on a month-on-month basis, the Food inflation rate in February 2026 was 4.69%, up by 10.70% compared to January 2026 (-6.02%).
“The increase can be attributed to the rate of increase in the average prices of Beans, Carrots, Okazi Leaf, Cassava Tuber, Crayfish, Millet Flour, Yam Flour, Snails, Avenger (Ogbono/Apon) – dried ungrinded, cow peas, etc.
“The average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending February 2026 over the previous twelve-month average was 19.08%, which was 18.31% points lower compared with the average annual rate of change recorded in February 2025 (37.40%).”
The report also showed differences in inflation rates across states.
Among the states, Kogi State recorded the highest headline inflation rate at 23.57 per cent, followed by Benue State with 22.85 per cent and Anambra State with 22.09 per cent.
The lowest headline inflation rates were recorded in Katsina State (7.78 per cent), Imo State (11.66 per cent) and Ebonyi State (11.71 per cent).
For food inflation on a year-on-year basis, Kogi State recorded the highest rate at 26.91 per cent, followed by Adamawa State (23.12 per cent) and Benue State (21.89 per cent).
The slowest rise in food inflation was recorded in Katsina State, Bauchi State and Imo State, according to the report.
In February 2026, however, food inflation was lowest in Katsina (-0.70%) and highest in Bayelsa (8.81%), Ebonyi (8.51%), and Edo (7.72%).
