As Nigerians continue to face rising living costs, new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for January 2026 highlights the states offering the greatest relief to residents in terms of affordability.
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate moderated slightly to 15.10 percent in January 2026, down from 15.15 percent in December 2025, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the NBS.
The marginal decline of 0.05 percentage points signals a continued easing of price pressures at the start of the year, extending the gradual slowdown observed in recent months.
The year-on-year improvement is even more pronounced. Compared to January 2025, when inflation stood at 27.61 percent, the rate has fallen by 12.51 percentage points, reflecting a significant moderation in overall price growth across the country.
While national figures provide a broad overview of economic trends, cost-of-living conditions differ considerably across states.
Based on state-level inflation data, the following are the Top 10 most affordable states to live in January 2026, ranked by lowest headline inflation rates and reflecting relative stability in essential goods and services.
Kaduna State recorded a headline inflation rate of 11.41 percent, up slightly from 10.4 percent in December. In contrast, food inflation eased to 5.1 percent from 11.3 percent, reflecting improved food supply conditions. As a major agricultural and commercial hub in northern Nigeria, the state appears to be benefiting from stronger farm output and distribution networks.
The state government, led by Governor Uba Sani, has rolled out multiple interventions across 2025 and early 2026 to reduce economic pressure on residents and support vulnerable groups. These measures target transportation costs, agricultural productivity, wages, and financial inclusion.
One of the flagship initiatives is a free public transportation programme using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses, introduced in December for an initial six-month period to cushion the effect of rising transport fares on students, workers, and low-income earners.
The scheme was later extended, and records show that more than 1.4 million passengers were transported between July and November 2025.
To strengthen food production and moderate prices, the government also distributed 500 truckloads of fertilizer. About 240,000 bags were supplied to 120,000 smallholder farmers at a 40 percent subsidy, helping to lower production costs and improve output across the state.
