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Food inflation spikes above 20% in 11 states

Published

2 months ago

May 19, 2026

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National Bureau of Statistics says food inflation remained above 20 per cent in 11 states in April 2026, even as national food inflation surpassed headline inflation for the first time in eight months, signalling renewed pressure on household purchasing power across the country.

Data from the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that food inflation rose to 16.06 per cent in April 2026, slightly higher than the headline inflation rate of 15.69 per cent recorded in the same month.

The development marked the first time food inflation exceeded all-item inflation since August 2025, when food inflation stood at 25.30 per cent compared to headline inflation of 23.14 per cent.

Between September 2025 and March 2026, headline inflation consistently remained higher than food inflation, reflecting broader price pressures beyond food items, including transport, accommodation, energy, and services.

In September 2025, food inflation stood at 20.16 per cent against headline inflation of 20.98 per cent. The gap widened further in January 2026 when food inflation slowed sharply to 8.89 per cent while headline inflation remained elevated at 15.10 per cent.

Food inflation later rebounded steadily from 10.84 per cent in December 2025 to 12.12 per cent in February 2026 and 14.31 per cent in March 2026 before overtaking headline inflation again in April 2026.

The latest figures suggest that food prices are once again becoming the dominant driver of inflationary pressure in the economy after months in which non-food components accounted for a larger share of overall inflation.

The NBS stated that food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Enugu at 32.7 per cent, followed by Kwara at 30.8 per cent and Adamawa at 30.1 per cent.

Other states with food inflation above 20 per cent were Rivers at 26.8 per cent, Delta at 23.9 per cent, Bauchi at 23.7 per cent, Edo at 23.0 per cent, Zamfara at 22.0 per cent, Gombe at 21.6 per cent, Anambra at 20.8 per cent, and Benue at 20.1 per cent.

The bureau said, “Food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Enugu (32.67 per cent), Kwara (30.77 per cent), and Adamawa (30.14 per cent), while Borno (1.67 per cent), Jigawa (6.17 per cent), and Taraba (7.19 per cent) recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation on a year-on-year basis.”

According to the report, the rise in food prices was driven by increases in the average prices of millet, yam flour, fresh ginger, beef, garri, yam tubers, fresh pepper, crayfish, cassava tubers, beans, Irish potatoes, tomatoes, wheat grain, soybeans, guinea corn, plantain, and carrots.

The report also showed worsening month-on-month food inflation pressures in some states. Niger recorded the highest monthly food inflation increase at 8.5 per cent, followed by Bauchi at 6.8 per cent and Kogi at 6.7 per cent. Benue and Plateau also recorded strong monthly increases of 6.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent, respectively.

Conversely, Kebbi recorded the slowest monthly food inflation increase at 0.2 per cent, while Katsina and Bayelsa posted 0.5 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.

At the national level, headline inflation rose marginally to 15.69 per cent in April 2026 from 15.38 per cent in March 2026, representing a 0.31 percentage point increase. The NBS said the Consumer Price Index increased to 138.3 points in April from 135.4 points in March.

However, month-on-month headline inflation slowed to 2.13 per cent in April from 4.18 per cent in March, indicating that the pace of overall price increases moderated compared to the previous month.

The bureau added that rural inflation remained higher than urban inflation, with rural inflation at 16.36 per cent and urban inflation at 15.40 per cent year-on-year. Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the largest contributor to headline inflation, accounting for 6.40 percentage points of the overall inflation rate.

The worsening food inflation trend also aligns with a new warning by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which projected that between 16 million and 16.99 million Nigerians could require urgent humanitarian food assistance by November 2026.

The report placed Nigeria among the countries expected to record the highest number of people in need of food assistance globally, alongside Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Yemen.

FEWS NET stated that Nigeria’s projected food assistance needs in November 2026 would be higher than last year’s levels and above the five-year average due to persistent conflict, weak purchasing power, and below-average agricultural production.

According to the report, “In northern Nigeria, needs in November will likely remain elevated despite some seasonal improvements with the September main harvest and declining food prices. However, below-average production, persistent conflict, and constrained purchasing power will continue to limit food access, sustaining widespread Crisis (IPC Phase 3), with some inaccessible areas of North East facing Emergency (IPC Phase 4).”

The report added that Nigeria is expected to account for between five and 10 per cent of total projected global humanitarian food assistance needs across FEWS NET-monitored countries in November 2026.

FEWS NET classifies Crisis, also known as IPC Phase 3, as a condition where households face food consumption gaps or can only meet minimum food needs by depleting essential livelihood assets or adopting crisis-level coping strategies. Emergency, classified as IPC Phase 4, reflects severe food consumption gaps, high acute malnutrition, and excess mortality.

Commenting on the inflation trend, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, said the latest figures reflected a fragile disinflation process amid persistent pressure from food, transport, and energy costs.

Yusuf noted that although headline inflation rose marginally from 15.38 per cent in March to 15.69 per cent in April, the moderation in month-on-month inflation indicators suggested weakening short-term inflationary momentum.

He said, “Nonetheless, inflation conditions remain severe from a welfare and business cost perspective. Food inflation stood at 16.06 per cent, while core inflation remained elevated at 15.86 per cent. The dominant inflation drivers continue to be food, transportation, energy products, healthcare, and restaurant services, which together accounted for about 87 per cent of the inflation pressure recorded in April.”

According to him, the pressure on essential household spending items was worsening the cost-of-living crisis for many Nigerians, particularly low-income households.

Yusuf also warned that rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States could further worsen inflationary pressures through higher global oil prices and rising domestic energy costs.

He stated, “Rising petrol, diesel and gas prices are fuelling transportation, logistics and production costs across sectors, with significant pass-through effects on food prices and overall consumer inflation.”

The economist argued that Nigeria’s inflation challenge remained largely structural and supply-driven, warning that tighter monetary policy alone would not resolve inflation caused by high energy costs, weak infrastructure, logistics bottlenecks, and food supply disruptions.

He added that further monetary tightening could worsen financing costs for businesses, weaken investment, and constrain productivity growth.

Yusuf called on the Federal Government and state governments to prioritise supply-side reforms aimed at reducing energy and transportation costs, strengthening food supply systems, improving trade facilitation, and boosting domestic productivity.

In an earlier statement, the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Chinyere Almona, said the continued rise in food, transportation, energy, and logistics costs was worsening pressure on businesses and households despite signs of moderation in inflation trends.

She noted that inflation continued to erode purchasing power, weaken consumer demand, and compress business margins, particularly for manufacturers, traders, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, and low-income households.

Almona said, “The chamber observes that inflation continues to weigh heavily on manufacturers, MSMEs, traders, and consumers, through rising costs of food, transportation, energy, and logistics.”

She added that the higher rural inflation rate of 16.36 per cent reflected deeper structural challenges, including insecurity in food-producing communities, weak transportation networks, poor storage systems, and persistent supply chain disruptions.

According to her, “The higher rural inflation rate also highlights ongoing supply chain disruptions, insecurity in food-producing areas, and weak distribution infrastructure.”

The LCCI boss stated that although inflation had moderated significantly from the 26.82 per cent recorded in April 2025, many Nigerians were yet to experience meaningful relief due to lingering economic pressures and declining purchasing power.

She called for stronger policy coordination, exchange rate stability, improved energy supply, and deliberate support for local production to sustain the current moderation in inflation.

Almona maintained that long-term price stability would depend on reforms aimed at boosting productivity, improving infrastructure, strengthening food security, and creating a more business-friendly operating environment.
[5/19, 10:36 AM] Emma Agaji: Court orders forfeiture of private jet linked to alleged N23.1bn power fraud

A Federal High Court has ordered the final forfeiture of a private jet allegedly linked to fraud connected to the Maiduguri Emergency Power Project, MEPP, valued at 114.1 million dollars and N23.1 billion.

The development was disclosed in a statement posted on the official page of the Nigeria National Grid.

According to the statement, investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, allegedly revealed that Abdulsalam Mustapha Kachallah leaked bidding information to China Machinery Engineering Company, CMEC, in exchange for financial kickbacks.

The statement alleged that CMEC later transferred about 2.07 million dollars through Afuwa Integrated Services, identified as a Bureau De Change operator, using what were described as forged invoices to facilitate the purchase of the aircraft for Valiente Jet Limited.

Justice Emeka Nwite reportedly described the transaction as a disguised arrangement linked to fraudulent activities surrounding the project.

“Justice Nwite condemned the disguised transaction, forfeiting the asset to the FG. The court ordered the permanent forfeiture of the aircraft to the Federal Government,” the statement read.

News

Photos: “I Directed Wike To Build Roads Before Asking Nigerians to Move into Renewed Hope Estate, He Has Done It” – Tinubu

Published

23 minutes ago

July 3, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday, disclosed that he directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to provide roads and other engineering infrastructure to the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City in Karsana before residents could occupy the estate, and the minister wasted no time in carrying out the directive.

The President, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, made the disclosure while commissioning the 10.5-kilometre Access Roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in Karsana West District, Abuja.

He said the completion of the road network fulfilled the directive he gave during the groundbreaking of the housing project, stressing that no housing estate could function without access roads and supporting infrastructure.

“When I performed the groundbreaking for the 3,112-unit Renewed Hope City here in Karsana, I gave one clear directive: provide the roads, provide the engineering infrastructure, and unlock this district for development. Housing without access is a blueprint without a building.

“For too long, Abuja’s story was ‘awarded and abandoned contracts’. Today, we are ending that story with roads that open, not ones that stall,” he said.

Tinubu said he specifically instructed Wike to immediately open up the district because “civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach.”

“I gave that assignment to a Minister who treats deadlines as duties. I told the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, CON, that civil servants, families and investors cannot live in houses they cannot reach. ‘Open Karsana, and open it now.’ He took that brief, set the pace and delivered.

“When urgency meets quality, results follow. That is what you are standing on today.”

The President said the newly completed Arterial Roads N11, N16, N40 and Special Important Local Street 03 have linked Karsana West to the Outer Northern Expressway, making thousands of affordable housing units accessible, livable and secure.

He praised Wike for what he described as the visible transformation of the Federal Capital Territory, saying the minister had turned stalled projects into completed infrastructure.

“You took stalled corridors and made them active corridors. You brought the same urgency to Karsana that you brought to other districts and the area councils. You measure contractors by output, not promises. Minister, you have earned my trust and you have my commendation,” Tinubu added.

He also commended Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, engineers and officials of the FCT Administration for ensuring the project was completed on schedule and according to specification.

The President further praised Lubrik Construction Company for delivering the project after it was awarded the contract in February 2025, assuring contractors that his administration would continue to honour prompt payment for jobs delivered on time and to specification.

Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barr. Nyesom Wike recalled that Karsana was inaccessible when Tinubu performed the groundbreaking for the Renewed Hope Estate in 2024.

“For those of us who were here that day, I was imagining how anybody would come and live in this area because there was no road,” he said.

The minister disclosed that developers had expressed fears that their investments would become worthless without access roads, but he assured them the government would intervene.

“I told them, ‘It is Renewed Hope. Go home and sleep. We must construct the road in this Karsana district.’ Today, it is a different story.”

Wike said the project became possible because the Federal Government ensured prompt payment while the contractor fulfilled its obligation by delivering within schedule.

He also announced that the FCT Administration would next Wednesday, July 8, flag off the construction of Kaba- Kagini – Zaudna road following recent request by residents over its deplorable condition.

In her remarks, FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another milestone in the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the roads would boost economic activities, improve connectivity and expand access to affordable housing across the territory.

While celebrating the successful completion of the access roads, Mahmoud called on residents and stakeholders to take collective ownership of public infrastructure by protecting and preserving it for the benefit of present and future generations.

News

Just in: FRSC Starts 2026 Nationwide Recruitment

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has officially commenced its 2026 nationwide recruitment exercise, beckoning on qualified Nigerians to apply for various positions across its Officer, Marshal Inspectorate and Road Marshal Assistant cadres.

According to the Corps, the online application portal opened on Friday, July 3, 2026, and will remain accessible for four weeks. The recruitment exercise is completely free, with the agency warning applicants not to pay any individual or organization claiming to facilitate employment.

Interested applicants are required to submit their applications through the official FRSC recruitment portal at HERE

Available Cadres
The recruitment covers three major categories:

Officer Cadre – Open to holders of B.Sc., BA, HND and other relevant professional qualifications.

Marshal Inspectorate Cadre – Available for candidates with qualifications such as ND, NCE and other approved credentials.
Road Marshal Assistant Cadre – Includes opportunities for eligible SSCE holders, artisans and drivers, depending on the position.
Required Documents
Applicants are advised to prepare the following before beginning their application:

National Identification Number (NIN)
Educational certificates
Birth certificate or age declaration
Recent passport photograph
NYSC discharge, exemption or exclusion certificate (where applicable)
The FRSC also advises applicants to use their personal email address and phone number during registration and to ensure all information provided is accurate. Shortlisted candidates will be required to present printed copies of their completed application forms during the screening process.

The Corps urged interested Nigerians seeking a career in the Federal Government to apply early in order to avoid heavy traffic on the recruitment portal before the application window closes.

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Finally, US Confirms Withdrawal Of Troops From Nigeria

Published

5 hours ago

July 3, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The United States has withdrawn the majority of its military personnel deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin, while maintaining intelligence sharing and other security cooperation with Nigerian authorities.

Commander of US Air Forces in Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, announced the development during a virtual press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.

He said the partnership between Washington and Abuja remained active, particularly in intelligence operations targeting the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).

According to Anderson, the specific mission that required the deployment of US troops has been completed, prompting the withdrawal of most personnel.

However, he noted that the United States would continue providing intelligence assistance at the request of the Nigerian government.

“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as that disrupts the ISIS network,” Anderson said.

“And so — and then we have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks,” he added.

The US Air Force commander described Nigeria as a key regional partner with a capable military, saying the collaboration between both nations had produced notable gains in the fight against ISIS.

He credited intelligence cooperation between the two countries for enabling an operation that eliminated the second-highest-ranking figure in the global ISIS network.

“I think there partnership that we’ve shown recently with Nigeria, where Nigeria’s a very capable and large country — it’s got a strong economy; it’s got a large, educated population; it’s got a very capable military.

“But there are things that we have learned in the counterterrorist fight over several years that we were able to assist and integrate with them to help them with their intelligence and help with the intelligence sharing that eventually led to a cooperative effort to where we were able to bring some unique capabilities that the U.S. brings and be able to prosecute together the number two leader within the ISIS or Daesh organization who is responsible for much of their global operations, their global media, and their recruiting”, he said.

Anderson said the operation underscored the effectiveness of intelligence collaboration over prolonged foreign troop deployments.

“So I think as we go forward, that is an example of how we’re looking at engaging with partners to help them be more effective by only bringing unique U.S. capabilities that allow the partner to be effective in these fights,” he said.

He also called for deeper intelligence cooperation among African countries to tackle terrorism, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.

The US commander cited a recent multinational operation that intercepted a record 31-ton shipment of cocaine originating from South America and passing through the West African coastline, saying effective intelligence sharing made the seizure possible.

“I was able to coordinate through our interagency in the United States, through AFRICOM, and then notify some of the partners. And eventually it was a Spanish ship that interdicted the ship that had 31 tons of cocaine on it, and it turns out is the largest interdiction of drugs at sea that we’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.

He added that sustained collaboration among African governments, international allies and private-sector stakeholders would be vital to confronting security challenges while fostering economic growth and attracting investment across the continent.

The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to assist with intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin as both countries expanded cooperation against ISIS and other extremist groups operating in the region.

The deployment came after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and pledged increased American support for counterterrorism efforts.

On December 25, 2025, US forces carried out air strikes on two terrorist camps in the Bauni Forest, located in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The security partnership reached a major milestone in May 2026 when a joint US-Nigerian operation killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, during a raid on his hideout in Borno State.