Food Prices in Nigeria Rise Again in March 2026

News in Brief:

-Food prices in Nigeria showed mixed trends in March 2026, with staples recording sharp year-on-year declines despite slight monthly increases.

-Inflationary pressures and regional price disparities continue to affect household spending and food markets across the country.

Nigeria’s food market recorded mixed price movements in March 2026, with several staple commodities posting month-on-month increases.

According to the latest Selected Food Price Watch report, the average price of eggs (a crate of 30 pieces) stood at ₦6,127.62 in March 2026, representing a 20.12% decline from ₦7,670.56 recorded in March 2025. However, compared to February 2026, egg prices increased by 2.00%, highlighting renewed short-term pressure on household food spending.

Brown beans also recorded a major annual decline. The average price of 1kg dropped to ₦1,325.85 in March 2026, down by 49.32% from ₦2,616.26 recorded a year earlier. Monthly prices still edged higher by 1.41% from ₦1,307.44 in February.

Similarly, the price of white garri sold loose fell sharply by 41.19% year-on-year, declining from ₦1,362.96 in March 2025 to ₦801.54 in March 2026. Yet the commodity rose by 1.38% from February levels.

Onion prices also eased annually, with the average price of 1kg dropping by 19.63% to ₦1,153.14 from ₦1,434.85 recorded in March 2025. Month-on-month, however, onions increased by 1.59%.

The latest figures align with broader inflation trends seen in Nigeria’s economy. Recent inflation data also showed headline inflation rose slightly to 15.38% in March 2026 from 15.06% in February, while month-on-month inflation accelerated to 4.18%, indicating faster increases in consumer prices over the short term.

Food inflation also reflected mixed conditions: it slowed significantly to 14.31% from 25.22% recorded in March 2025. However, monthly food inflation remained elevated at 4.17%, suggesting that many Nigerians are still facing rising food costs despite improvements compared to last year.