According to a data analysis released by Statisense, drawing from the March 2026 report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the monthly Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) now swallows more than 80% of Nigeria’s newly implemented ₦70,000 national minimum wage in eight different states across the federation.
A catastrophic food inflation crisis has hit the South-East geopolitical zone, making it the most expensive region in Nigeria to maintain a basic healthy lifestyle.
According to a data analysis released by Statisense, drawing from the March 2026 report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the monthly Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) now swallows more than 80% of Nigeria’s newly implemented ₦70,000 national minimum wage in eight different states across the federation.
The report exposes a harrowing reality for the country’s working-class population: after purchasing just enough nutritious food to survive for 31 days, an average worker in these top-tier expensive states is left with virtually nothing to cover rent, utilities, transportation, or healthcare.
A regional breakdown of the data reveals that the five states making up the South-East geopolitical zone — Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Anambra — have collectively shifted into Nigeria's most expensive food corridor.
