The National Average Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) rose to N1,541 per adult per day in March 2026, representing a 1.89 per cent increase from N1,513 recorded in February, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
In its March 2026 CoHD report released on Monday, the NBS attributed the increase to rising prices across all food groups. The bureau described the CoHD as the least expensive combination of locally available foods that meets globally accepted dietary guidelines and serves as a measure of access to a healthy diet, excluding transportation and meal preparation costs.
Regionally, the South-East recorded the highest average daily cost of a healthy diet at N1,899, followed by the South-West at N1,801, while the North-East posted the lowest at N1,233. At the state level, Ekiti, Imo and Abia recorded the highest costs at N2,091, N2,052 and N1,970 respectively, while Adamawa, the Federal Capital Territory and Taraba recorded the lowest at N1,004, N1,113 and N1,149.
The report showed that the cost of a healthy diet increased by 4.38 per cent year-on-year, rising from N1,477 in March 2025 to N1,541 in March 2026. While prices of starchy staples and vegetables declined, all other food groups recorded increases during the period.
According to the NBS, animal-source foods remained the most expensive component of a healthy diet, accounting for 39 per cent of the total cost while providing just 13 per cent of total calories. Fruits and vegetables were also among the costliest food groups relative to their calorie contribution, accounting for 16 per cent and 14 per cent of total diet costs respectively. Legumes, nuts and seeds remained the least expensive food group, contributing just seven per cent of the total cost.
The bureau said the findings would support policymakers, researchers and development stakeholders in designing strategies to improve the affordability, availability and accessibility of healthy diets, while future studies incorporating income data could help determine the proportion of Nigerians unable to afford a healthy diet.