Food Inflation Persists in Southwest & Southeast While Prices Drop in Northern Nigeria

Nigeria – June 2025, CPI Report + Market Trends

While national food inflation eased slightly to 38.2% in June, down from 40.66% in May, many residents in the Southwest and Southeast continue to struggle with skyrocketing food prices. Meanwhile, some regions in the North have started to see modest relief.

Regional Disparities in Food Inflation

June CPI data show a decline in food inflation—slowing from 40.66% in May to 38.2% year-on-year.
Despite this, local market checks in Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Anambra, and Delta states reveal that food prices have either remained high or increased in recent weeks.
In Lagos, for example, the price of local parboiled rice climbed from ₦53,000 in May to ₦77,000 by July—a sharp contrast to what national figures suggest.

Why the South Still Faces Pain While the North Sees Easing

Insecurity and climate shocks—especially in parts of the North—have disrupted farming and supply chains, limiting food access despite some inflationary slowdown.
Major southern cities rely heavily on imports from northern food belt states, so disruptions in rural supply send waves of price increases to urban markets.
The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WFP recently listed Nigeria as a global “hunger hotspot,” with inflation continuing to squeeze household food security more than headline rates suggest.

On the Ground: Households Feeling the Pinch

BusinessDay reports indicate that food now consumes as much as 70% of household income for some families. One Lagos resident with a ₦300,000 monthly income reportedly spends ₦200,000 on food alone.
The “Jollof Index”, which tracks the cost of cooking a pot of Jollof rice, has jumped from about ₦4,000 in 2016 to ₦28,000 in 2025—nearly half Nigeria’s monthly minimum wage.