Nigeria’s annual food inflation rate rose to 12.2 per cent in February, from 8.89 per cent in January, indicating fresh pressure on household food costs.
In its Consumer Price Index report for February, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday, noted that the rise was driven by prices of beans, yam flour, cassava tuber, crayfish, and other items.
This is as the monthly food inflation equally reversed a two-month downward trend and rose to 4.69 per cent in February from -6.02 per cent in January.
Headline inflation rate declined marginally to 15.06 per cent in February 2026, from 15.10 per cent in January.
The report stated that in February 2026, the headline inflation rate eased to 15.06 per cent, down from 15.10 per cent in January 2026.
Looking at the movement, the February 2026 headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 0.04% compared to the January 2026 headline inflation rate.
On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 11.21 per cent lower than the rate recorded in February 2025 (26.27 per cent).
This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in February 2026 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., February 2025).
On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in February 2026 was 2.01 per cent, which was 4.89 per cent higher than the rate recorded in January 2026 (-2.88 per cent).
This means that in February 2026, the rate of increase in the average price level was higher than the rate of increase in the average price level in January 2026.
The development followed the rising prices of crude oil globally. Oil prices resumed their push higher Tuesday as several countries kicked against Donald Trump’s demand that they help secure the key Strait of Hormuz, while Iran continued to target crude-producing neighbours.
Brent climbed 3.67% at 7:39 AM WAT on Tuesday, to $103.39 per barrel, after a previous close at $100.21 on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Drops Marginally To 15.06% In February
The food inflation rate in February 2026 was 12.12 per cent on a year-on-year basis. This was 14.86 percentage points lower compared to the rate recorded in February 2025 (26.98 per cent).
However, on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in February 2026 was 4.69 per cent, up by 10.70 per cent compared to January 2026 (-6.02 per cent).
The increase can be attributed to the rate of increase in the average prices of beans, carrots, okazi leaf, cassava tuber, crayfish, millet flour, yam flour, snails, avenger (Ogbono/Apon) – dried ungrinded, cow peas, etc.
The average annual rate of food inflation for the 12 months ending February 2026 over the previous 12-month average was 19.08%, which was 18.31% points lower compared with the average annual rate of change recorded in February 2025 (37.40%).’’
READ ALSO: Oil Prices Jump Again As Worries Grow Over Hormuz
States Inflation
The NBS report also showed that Kogi State recorded the highest headline and food inflation rates of 23.57% and 26.91%, respectively, in February.
The report stated: “In February 2026, the All-Items inflation rate on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Kogi (23.57%), Benue (22.85%), and Anambra (22.09%), while Katsina (7.78%), Imo (11.66%), and Ebonyi (11.71%) recorded the lowest rise in headline inflation on a Year-on-Year basis.
On a Month on-Month basis, however, February 2026 recorded the highest increases in Enugu (5.92%), Ogun (4.39%), and Anambra (4.11%), while Zamfara (-2.14%), Bauchi (-1.23%), and Katsina (-1.06%) recorded a decline in the Month-on-Month inflation.
Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Kogi (26.91%), Adamawa (23.12%), and Benue (21.89%), while Katsina (5.09%), Bauchi (7.09%), and Imo (7.65%) recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis. On a Month-on-Month basis, however, February 2026 Food inflation was highest in Bayelsa (8.81%), Ebonyi (8.51%), and Edo (7.72%), while it was lowest in Katsina (-0.70%).
