Nigeria’s food inflation climbs to 12% in February 

Nigeria recorded a year-on-year increase in the food inflation rate to 12.12 per cent in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The report showed that, on a month-on-month basis, the Food inflation rate in February 2026 was 4.69 per cent, up by 10.70 per cent compared to January 2026 (-6.02 per cent) and 14.86 percentage points lower than the rate recorded in February 2025 (26.98 per cent).

The increase, according to the Bureau, is 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.

“The average annual rate of Food inflation for the twelve months ending February 2026 over the previous twelve-month average was 19.08 percent, which was 18.31 percentage points lower compared with the average annual rate of change recorded in February 2025 (37.40 percent).

The report also indicated a drop in the headline inflation rate, which eased to 15.06 per cent in February, down 0.04 percentage points from 15.10 per cent in January 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The report, released on Monday, showed that, on a month-on-month basis, the Headline inflation rate in February 2026 was 2.01 per cent, 4.89 percentage points higher than the rate recorded in January 2026 (-2.88 per cent). This means that, in February 2026, the rate of increase in the average price level was higher than in January 2026.

“The ‘All items less farm products and energy’ or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural products and energy, stood at 15.88 per cent in February 2026 on a year-on-year basis; showing a decline of 9.78 per cent when compared to the 25.66 per cent recorded in February 2025.

“On a month-on-month basis, the Core Inflation rate was 0.89 percent in February 2026, up by 2.58 percent compared to January 2026 (-1.69 percent). The average annual inflation rate over the twelve months ending February 2026 was 22.0 per cent, which was 5. percentage points lower than the 27.25 per cent recorded in February 2025,” the report stated.

In February 2026, the All-Items inflation rate on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Kogi (23.57 per cent), Benue (22.85 per cent), and Anambra (22.0 per cent), while Katsina (7 per cent), Imo (11.66 per cent) and Ebonyi (11.71 per cent) recorded the lowest rise in Headline inflation on a Year-on-Year basis.

On a Month-on-Month basis, however, February 2026 recorded the highest increases in Enugu (5.92 per cent), Ogun (4.39 per cent) and Anambra (4.11 per cent), while Zamfara (-2.14 percent), Bauchi (-1.23 percent), and Katsina (-1.06 percent) recorded a decline in the Month-on-Month inflation.

In February 2026, Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Kogi (26.9 per cent), Adamawa (23 per cent), and Benue (21 per cent), while Katsina (per cent), Bauchi (7.09percent), and Imo (7.65percent) recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis.

On a Month-on-Month basis, however, February 2026 Food inflation was highest in Bayelsa (8.81 per cent), Ebonyi (8.51 per cent) and Edo (7.72 per cent), while Katsina (-0.70 percent), Nasarawa (0.17 per cent), and no (1.39percent) recorded a decline in Food inflation on a Month-on-Month basis.