FOR millions of Nigerian households, the financial burden of maintaining a healthy diet has become increasingly traumatic. This reality persists despite the food inflation rate dropping to 16.06 per cent year-on-year, significantly lower than the 24.68 per cent recorded in April 2025.
A healthy diet consists of locally available foods that meet the body’s energy requirements and comply with food-based dietary guidelines.
However, when the cost of obtaining such a diet exceeds the income available for food, healthy eating becomes a luxury rather than a necessity.
That is the grim reality confronting many Nigerians today.
According to the latest Cost of a Healthy Diet report by the National Bureau of Statistics, the national average cost of a healthy diet rose from N1,477 in March 2025 and N1,513 in February 2026 to N1,541 per adult per day in March 2026.
