• South-East emerged as the most expensive zone for most staple foods.
Prices of several key staple foods dropped significantly in March compared to the same period in 2025, the National Bureau of Statistics said in its latest Selected Food Price Watch report.
The report showed that brown beans recorded the steepest decline, falling by 49.32 per cent year-on-year to N1,325.85 per kilogram from N2,616.26. White garri also dropped 41.19 per cent to N801.54 per kilogram.
A crate of eggs declined by 20.12 per cent to N6,127.62. Onions also fell by 19.63 per cent, settling at N1,153.14 per kilogram.
However, the NBS noted that despite the annual declines, prices of most of these commodities recorded marginal prices when compared with February 2026, pointing to continued pressures from transportation, logistics and energy costs.
Fresh ginger remained on an upward trajectory, rising 20.46 per cent year-on-year to N5,541.25 per kilogram driven largely by supply constraints.
The report also highlighted price disparities in food prices across states. Oyo state recorded the highest beans price at N1,937.2 per kilogram while Taraba posted the lowest at N745. Abia state recorded the highest garri and onion prices at N1,075.45 and N2,115.67 per kilogram respectively.
Overall, the South-East emerged as the most expensive zone for most staple foods.
The moderation in food price comes amid broader macroeconomic pressures, as Nigeria’s headline inflation rose to 15.38 per cent in March 2026.
The country’s food import bill also climbed to N7.65 trillion in 2025, according to the NBS.
