The cost of healthy food in Nigeria has surged by 110.7 per cent, with the price of a meal per day rising to N1,035 in April 2024, compared to N491 a year earlier amid ongoing economic hardship.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this in its latest report on the cost of a Healthy Diet for April 2024.
The report indicated that the figure increased by 5.4 per cent from N982 recorded in March.
“The National Average Cost of a Healthy Diet was N1,035 in April 2024. This is 5.4 per cent higher than the amount recorded in the previous month (March 2024, which was N982),” the report stated.
The data further revealed that Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun states experienced the highest costs, with N1,483, N1,447, and N1,417 respectively. Conversely, Kogi and Katsina accounted for the lowest costs with N709, followed by Kaduna and Nasarawa with N756 and N769, respectively.
This development coincides with the rise in headline and food inflation rates, which reached 33.69 per cent and 40.53 per cent respectively in April.
President Bola Tinubu marked his one year in office on May 29, amid significant economic challenges, including soaring inflation and a foreign exchange crisis. The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, announced that the government would intensify efforts to achieve food security in the next six months.
