The prices of several staple food items declined significantly in April 2026 across Nigeria, compared to the same period last year, providing some relief for consumers.
However, month-on-month data shows that the cost of many food items continued to edge higher as Nigerians grapple with persistent cost-of-living pressures.
This is according to the latest selected food price watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report showed that while prices of major staples such as beans, garri, tomatoes and onions remained higher on a month-to-month basis, they were considerably lower than levels recorded in April 2025.
According to the NBS, the average price of one kilogramme of tomatoes stood at ₦1,177.92 in April 2026, representing an 8.23% decline from ₦1,283.57 recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
However, compared with March 2026, the commodity rose by 6.6%, indicating renewed pressure on consumers within the month.
Garri, one of Nigeria’s most consumed staple foods, recorded one of the steepest annual price reductions.
The average price of white Garri sold declined by 39.86% year-on-year to ₦808.96 from ₦1,345.10 in April 2025, compared with March 2026, the price however grew by 0.93%.
Likewise, the average price of onion bulb (1kg) decreased to ₦1,164.39 in April 2026 from ₦1,503.56 in April 2025, representing a year-on-year reduction of 22.56%, while a month-on-month increase of 0.98% was also recorded.
Despite the broad moderation in staple food prices, some commodities continued to experience significant increases. Fresh ginger emerged as one of the most expensive food items surveyed, with its average price rising by 12.30% year-on-year to ₦5,581.82 per kilogramme. Crayfish recorded an even steeper increase of 33.09%, reaching an average of ₦8,857.90.
The April figures suggest that although inflationary pressures on several staple foods have eased considerably compared with a year ago, consumers continue to face rising prices on a monthly basis for many essential items, reflecting ongoing volatility in Nigeria’s food market.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
