Cost of healthy diet was N1,513 in February – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the National Average Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) per adult per day was N1,513 in February 2026.

This figure was disclosed in the NBS’s February 2026 CoHD report, released in Abuja.

The bureau noted that the CoHD rose by 3.76 percent compared with the N1,458 recorded in January 2026.

The CoHD represents the least expensive combination of locally available items that meets globally consistent food‑based dietary guidelines, and is used as a measure of physical and economic access to healthy diets.

“This is a lower bound (or floor) of the cost per adult per day excluding the cost of transportation and meal preparation,” the NBS said.

In February, the average CoHD was highest in the South‑East at N1,889 per adult per day, followed by the South‑West at N1,786 per day.

The lowest average CoHD was recorded in the North‑East at N1,160 per adult per day.

At the state level, Ekiti, Imo and Abia recorded the highest CoHD at N2,075, N2,051 and N1,924 respectively.

Adamawa, Borno and Taraba recorded the lowest CoHD at N979, N1,040 and N1,102 respectively.

The NBS said the CoHD has steadily increased over the past year.

As of February 2026, the CoHD was 12.4 percent higher than in February 2025, rising from N1,346 to N1,513.

“The food groups that have driven the increases in CoHD on a year‑on‑year basis are animal‑source foods followed by fruits, then oil and fats and lastly vegetables,” the report stated. “However, the price of starchy staples decreased on a year‑on‑year basis.”

The report added that animal‑source foods were the most expensive food group recommendation to meet in February, accounting for 39 percent of the total CoHD while providing 13 percent of the total calories.

It noted that fruits and vegetables were the most expensive food groups in terms of price per calorie, accounting for 16 percent and 14 percent of the total CoHD while providing only seven percent and five percent of total calories in the Healthy Diet Basket.

Legumes, nuts and seeds were the least‑expensive food group on average, at seven percent of the total cost.

The report also states that the CoHD has risen faster than general inflation and food inflation.

“However, the CoHD and the food Consumer Price Index (CPI) are not directly comparable. The CoHD includes fewer items and is measured in Naira per day, while the food CPI is a weighted index,” the NBS said.

The NBS said the policy implications of these results would foster collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders, such as policymakers, researchers and civil society actors that focus on food security.

“These stakeholders will devise strategies that tackle access, availability, and affordability of healthy diet effectively. Also, future research incorporating income can also be used to determine the proportion and number of the population that are unable to afford a healthy diet,” the report said.

(NAN)

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