As Nigerians enter the peak of the “Detty December” season, official inflation data suggests a moderation in headline price pressures, even as households continue to grapple with elevated food costs.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the food inflation rate stood at 11.08% year-on-year in November 2025, representing a sharp 28.85 percentage-point decline from the 39.93% recorded in November 2024.
The NBS, however, notes that this significant drop is largely technical, driven by a change in the inflation base year rather than a broad-based fall in food prices.
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose by 1.13% in November 2025, reversing the -0.37% recorded in October.
This uptick was driven by higher average prices of key food items such as dried tomatoes, cassava tubers, periwinkle, grounded pepper, eggs, crayfish, unshelled egusi, oxtail, and fresh onions, ingredients that feature prominently in many Nigerian festive meals. Headline inflation also eased to 14.45% in November from 16.05% in October, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 130.5, reflecting a 1.6-point increase from the preceding month.
Against this mixed inflation backdrop, Nairametrics, using price data from a Nairalytics market survey, estimates the cost of preparing a modest but complete Christmas meal for a household of four. The assumed menu common across many Nigerian homes includes rice (jollof or fried), chicken, and vegetable salad.
Christmas meal cost breakdown
Rice remains the foundation of most festive meals.
- A 5kg bag of Royal Stallion rice, sufficient for a family of four with minimal leftovers, currently sells for about N8,000.
- For rice preparation, tomatoes and pepper cost an estimated N2,000, while a roll of sachet tomato paste adds N900. Onions, a core ingredient across dishes, are priced at N1,000. Cooking essentials such as curry and thyme packs cost N1,400, while a one-litre sachet of Kings vegetable oil sells for N3,800.
Preparing fried rice requires vegetables, including carrots (N1,500), green beans (N500), green peas (N1,500), green pepper (N1000), and a can of sweet corn (N1,000). Additional protein, such as cow liver often added to fried rice or stew, costs about N1500.
Protein remains the most expensive component of the meal. One kilogram of mixed frozen chicken(Nigerian) sells for around N4,800, while chicken breast costs about N6,500 per kilogram.
- For households that prefer live chicken often considered fresher and more traditional during Christmas the cost is significantly higher, with prices reaching up to N20,000 depending on size and location.
Vegetable salad, a staple side dish during Christmas celebrations, further adds to the food budget. An average-sized cabbage costs N1,200, Irish potatoes for the salad base sell for N2,000, cucumber is priced at N1,000(x2), and lettuce costs N500. Baked beans, another common ingredient, sell for N1,200. The most expensive component of the salad is the dressing, with salad cream or Bama mayonnaise priced at about N4,500 for the big container.
Estimated total cost
In total, Nairametrics estimates that preparing a Christmas meal for a household of four using frozen chicken would cost between N45,000 and N50,000. Opting for live chicken could push the total cost above N60,000, showing how protein choices significantly influence festive food budgets.
Ultimately, while inflation metrics suggest easing pressures at the macro level, the lived experience for households during Detty December tells a more nuanced story.
For many Nigerian families, celebrating Christmas continues to require careful budgeting, ingredient substitutions, and strategic shopping highlighting the gap between headline inflation trends and everyday consumer realities.
Methodology
According to the Nairalytics price survey, these figures represent average urban market prices and are subject to variation. Costs can be lower for households that buy in bulk, shop at semi-wholesale or local community markets, or take advantage of Christmas discounts and retailer promotions. Markets located closer to food-producing areas also tend to offer more competitive pricing, a strategy many households adopt during the festive season to manage costs.
