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.
Imo State recorded a headline inflation rate of 10.61 percent, down from 13.8 percent in December. Food inflation also declined markedly to 3.7 percent from 8.3 percent over the same period. The relatively mild price growth across both food and non-food categories places the state among the more affordable in the country.
Governor Hope Uzodimma approved an increase in the state minimum wage to N104,000 for civil servants, up from the previous N70,000. Announced in August 2025 and implemented from September 2025, the wage adjustment is aimed at improving worker welfare and cushioning the effects of economic hardship across multiple salary structures.
The state government has also proposed a N1.4 trillion budget for 2026 — about a 78 percent increase over the 2025 figure — with a strong focus on infrastructure expansion and broader economic stimulation to support growth and price stability.
