AS of January 2024, a Nigerian would averagely spend N858 to eat a healthy diet, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. The new amount is higher than the N786 reported by the bureau in December 2023.
This shows an increase of 9.16 per cent within one month.
NBS said that the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) is the least expensive combination of locally available items that meet globally consistent food-based dietary guidelines. It is used as a measure of physical and economic access to healthy diets.
The CoHD data assesses the availability, price, and nutritional composition of retail food items to identify the most cost-effective combination meeting the requirements for a healthy diet.
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When evaluated by states, the data shows that it is more expensive to eat a healthy diet in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states than in Kastina, Niger and Kano states.
Residents living in Osun spend N1,090 on a portion of healthy food, while residents in Ondo and Ekiti spent N1,087 and N1,063 respectively making it the states with the highest amount spent.
Meanwhile, the states with the least expenses are Kastina with N629, Niger with N629 and Kano with N649 spent.
| Zone | CoHD amount |
| North Central | 769 |
| North East | 859 |
| North West | 683 |
| South East | 986 |
| South South | 872 |
| South West | 1045 |
CoHD in Nigeria geo-political zones/ Source: NBS, January 2024
By geopolitical zone, NBS data showed that the average CoHD was highest in the South West Zone at N1045 per day, followed by South East Zone at N986 per day. The lowest average Cost of a Healthy diet was recorded in the North-West Zone with N683 per day.
The rising cost of a healthy diet could be connected to the increasing inflation affecting food prices at local markets. The ICIR reported that as of January 2024, the inflation rate rose to 29.90 per cent. This rate which is the highest ever recorded in Nigeria has consistently increased since President Bola Tinibu enacted policies around fuel subsidy and naira devaluation when he assumed office in May 2023.
This recently led to protests in different parts of the country in reaction to the high cost of living, with citizens in Niger, Kano, Lagos, and other states demanding solutions to the economic crisis.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Olayemi Cardoso said that the country’s inflation rate is expected to drop to 21.4 per cent in 2024.
He said, “We are implementing a comprehensive strategy to improve liquidity in our FX (forex) markets in the short, medium, and long term. Our focus is on addressing fundamental issues that have hindered the effective operation of our markets over the years.”
Kehinde Ogunyale tells stories by using data to hold power into account. You can send him a mail at jameskennyogunyale@gmail or Twitter: Prof_KennyJames | LinkedIn: Kehinde Ogunyale