Food inflation continues to strain household incomes across Nigeria, despite a technical drop in the year-on-year national average, which stood at 21.14% in May 2025.
This sharp drop from 40.66% in May 2024 is largely due to a change in the base year, which affects year-on-year comparisons.
However, the month-on-month rate rose slightly to 2.19%, compared to 2.06% in April, reflecting ongoing price pressures in specific food items.
At the sub-national level, several states are witnessing sharp increases in food prices. What is even more striking is that many of the states experiencing the highest food inflation are also major producers of food crops, highlighting a disconnect between local production and affordability.
While national food inflation appears to be moderating due to statistical base effects, real-time price pressures are intensifying in several states. Supply disruptions, insecurity, and high transportation costs remain key drivers of food inflation across Nigeria.
A Nairametrics market survey across four major Lagos markets confirms this mixed picture: while prices of tomatoes, pepper, chicken, and palm oil rose, marginal reductions were seen in items like rice, yellow maize, semovita, and frozen fish. Nonetheless, reactions from the general market still remain that food prices are still uncomfortably high.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), prices of staple items like yam, pepper, cassava, and maize remain high, with varying pressures across regions.
Below are the top 10 Nigerian states with the highest year-on-year food inflation in May 2025, ranked in ascending order and with insights into their local food dynamics and historical inflation trends.
States with the highest food inflation in May 2025
10. Ebonyi – 25.9%
Ebonyi rounds out the list with 25.9% food inflation, a steep rise from 7.2% in April. The 18.7% spike is significant, especially considering the state’s role as a rice production hub in the Southeast.
Despite its agricultural strength, prices are still affected by transport and distribution inefficiencies. The state, known for rice, yam, beans, and cassava production, is among the top 20 with the highest all-items inflation for the month.
9. Kogi – 26.52%
Matching Ogun’s rate at 26.52%, Kogi saw a 4.7% increase over the previous month. Despite producing yam, cassava, sorghum, and cowpea, food inflation remains elevated, possibly due to regional supply chain constraints or poor market access. The state ranks among the top 20 states for all-items inflation in May.
8. Ogun – 26.54%
Ogun’s inflation also hit 26.5%, up from 9.9% in April, marking a significant 16.6% surge.
Despite its proximity to food trade routes and production of cassava, maize, and rice, food price pressures remain intense. The state falls within the top 20 states with the highest all-time inflation for the month.
7. Abuja (FCT) – 26.7%
The Federal Capital Territory saw food inflation hit 26.7%, rising 4.5% from April’s 22.2%. Abuja sources a large share of its food supply from other states, even though it also produces cassava, plantain, yam, millet, beans, rice, and Irish potatoes.
Price pressures here may reflect national food supply trends, and the state also ranks as the fifth highest all-items food inflation for the month of May.
6. Cross River – 27.3%
Cross River experienced a steep monthly jump in food inflation, rising from 14.5% in April to 27.3% in May. That 12.8% increase may be tied to seasonal price pressures on cassava, yam, plantain, maize, garden egg, pepper, banana, and cocoyam, crops heavily traded in regional markets. The state ranks eighth highest in all-items inflation for the month.
5. Sokoto – 27.6%
Sokoto experienced a relatively moderate change, with food inflation increasing from 25.3% in April to 27.6% in May.
Though the increase is marginal, the state still ranks among the top 10. Sokoto produces cassava, plantain, yam, millet, cocoyam, rice, pumpkin, and banana, and has generally benefited from steady local production.
4. Niger – 30.3%
With a food inflation rate of 30.3%, Niger State saw a modest rise of 6% from April. As a key producer of yam, cassava, sorghum, and rice, the increase may reflect seasonal variations in food availability or pressures from nearby markets. The state is the second-highest all-items inflation in May.
3. Taraba – 38.6%
Taraba posted 38.6% food inflation in May, compared to 20.3% in April—a difference of 18.3%. The state grows a wide array of food crops, including cassava, plantain, yam, millet, beans, rice, and Irish potatoes, yet logistics bottlenecks and rising transportation costs may be affecting final consumer prices.
Insecurity in surrounding areas and road conditions often disrupt trade routes here. The state ranks as the seventh highest all-items inflation for the month.
2. Bayelsa – 39.8%
Food inflation in Bayelsa jumped from 19.7% in April to 39.8% in May, marking a significant 20.1% surge. Despite being a producer of plantain, cassava, yam, rice, garden egg, pepper, banana, and cocoyam, the state’s supply chains and high dependency on food imports from other regions could be contributing to this steep rise. The state made it into the top 20 highest all-items inflation for the month.
1. Borno – 64.4%
Borno recorded the highest food inflation in May, soaring to 64.4%, a sharp rise of 42.9% from April’s 21.5%. The state, known for producing millet, sorghum, maize, rice, guinea corn, and sweet potatoes.
Despite significant crop production, including millet, sorghum, and sweet potatoes, insecurity, limited market access, and disrupted trade flows have contributed to the sharp price increases. The state also ranks as the highest all-items inflation for the month.
