Food Inflation Falls to 19.57% in August, 10 States Record Lowest Rates
by Dave Ibemere, https://www.facebook.com/legitngnews · Legit.ng News · Join- Nigeria's food inflation fell to 19.57% year-on-year in August 2026 from 25.30% recorded in August 2025
- Adamawa, Zamfara and Bayelsa recorded the highest annual food inflation rates among Nigerian states
- Borno, Jigawa and Kebbi recorded the lowest annual food inflation rates, while monthly food inflation fell sharply in August
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has more than 10 years of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks and broader market trends.
Nigeria's food inflation rate fell to 19.57% in August 2026 on a year-on-year basis, down from 25.30% recorded in August 2025, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation stood at 1.02% in August, representing a 4.55 percentage-point decline from the 5.56% recorded in July 2026.
The latest figures indicate that the average prices of food items increased at a slower rate in August.
The NBS attributed the decline mainly to changes in the average prices of palm oil, carrots, pepper, onions, cassava flour, beef, yam flour, water yam, melon (egusi), fresh ginger, fresh fish, Irish potatoes, wheat grain, frozen chicken and turkey meat, among others.
The average annual food inflation rate for the 12 months ending August 2026 stood at 15.70%, representing a 14.15 percentage-point decline from the 29.86% recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
States with the highest food inflation
State-level data from the NBS showed significant differences in food price pressures across the country.
Adamawa recorded the highest annual food inflation rate in August 2026 at 38.85%, followed by Zamfara at 37.96% and Bayelsa at 36.20%.
Katsina ranked fourth at 31.40%, while Lagos recorded 30.90%.
The top 10 states with the highest annual food inflation rates in August 2026 were:
- Adamawa: 38.85%
- Zamfara: 37.96%
- Bayelsa: 36.20%
- Katsina: 31.40%
- Lagos: 30.90%
- Ekiti: 28.80%
- Ebonyi: 28.40%
- Rivers: 28.40%
- Niger: 26.50%
- Kwara: 26.10%
States with the lowest food inflation
Borno recorded the lowest annual food inflation rate in August 2026 at -4.04%, making it the only state among the listed states to record a negative rate.
Jigawa followed with -0.23%, while Kebbi recorded 3.47%.
Kogi, Taraba and Akwa Ibom also recorded relatively low annual food inflation rates at 8.20%, 9.30% and 9.60%, respectively.
The 10 states with the lowest annual food inflation rates were:
- Borno: -4.04%
- Jigawa: -0.23%
- Kebbi: 3.47%
- Kogi: 8.20%
- Taraba: 9.30%
- Akwa Ibom: 9.60%
- Anambra: 11.20%
- Bauchi: 12.00%
- Abuja: 12.70%
- Kaduna: 12.70%
States with the highest monthly food inflation
On a month-on-month basis, Katsina recorded the highest food inflation rate in August at 9.48%.
Rivers followed at 8.86%, while Osun ranked third at 8.32%.
The states with the sharpest monthly declines were Taraba at -12.42%, Borno at -12.15% and Bauchi at -8.88%.
This suggests that food price pressures varied significantly across states in August, with some locations recording sharp monthly increases while others experienced declines.
Food prices crash
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the prices of major food items across rural and urban markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other parts of Nigeria have dropped significantly, with some staples recording up to 50% reduction, according to reports from local traders and government officials.
A market survey conducted by Abuja Metro on Wednesday revealed that prices of essential items such as rice, maize, beans, yam, and cassava flour have fallen noticeably compared to just two months ago.
At the Abaji main market, which operates every five days, traders confirmed a steep decline in prices.