The average cost of purchasing healthy food daily rose by 32% to ₦1,041 in May 2024, up from ₦786 in December 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its May 2024 “Cost of a Healthy Diet” report released Friday in Abuja.
The report also noted a marginal month-on-month increase of 1% in May, compared to ₦1,035 in April.
“This is a lower bound (or floor) of the cost per adult per day excluding the cost of transportation and meal preparation.”
The report’s state-by-state analysis indicated that Ebonyi, Abia, and Anambra had the highest cost of a healthy diet (CoHD) at ₦1,225, ₦1,215, and ₦1,205, respectively.
Kano had the lowest at ₦898, followed by Jigawa at ₦899, and both Yobe and Katsina at ₦906.
On a zonal level, the South-West had the highest CoHD at ₦1,189 per adult per day, while the North-West had the lowest at ₦919. The NBS noted a consistent rise in CoHD since its first report in October 2023.
“The food groups that have driven the increases in CoHD the most are starchy staples, legumes, nuts and seeds, and animal source foods.
“On the other hand, vegetables and fruits recorded the lowest increase in price on a month-on-month basis,” the report stated.
The development comes as food inflation increased for the 17th time to 40.66 per cent in May 2024.
Meanwhile, Headline Inflation in Nigeria rose to 33.95 per cent in May 2024 from 33.69 per cent in April.
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