In June 2024, the cost of a healthy diet in Nigeria surged by 19.2%, reaching N1,241 per adult per day. This is a significant jump from N1,041 in May 2024. The National Bureau of Statistics and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition released these findings in their June 2024 report.
The Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) is the least expensive combination of local foods meeting global dietary guidelines. It’s a crucial measure of Nigeria’s physical and economic access to healthy diets.
Regional and State Variations
The South West Zone recorded the highest average CoHD at N1,545 per adult daily. In contrast, the North West Zone had the lowest at N956. Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun states topped the list with costs of N1,640, N1,599, and N1,557 respectively. Katsina, Kano, and Jigawa reported the lowest costs at N878, N926, and N937 per adult per day.
Faster Than Inflation
The rise in CoHD has outpaced both general and food inflation rates. While the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Food CPI track overall price changes, the CoHD focuses on the cost of the least expensive items needed for a healthy diet. This metric is measured in Naira per day, highlighting food affordability. Since January 2024, when the CoHD was N858, it has increased by 45% by June 2024. This sharp rise is mainly due to the soaring prices of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and starchy staples. Interestingly, starchy staples saw the smallest month-to-month price increase.
Key Insights
The rising CoHD underscores households’ challenges in accessing sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. It offers vital insights into food access, a critical aspect of food security. The CoHD informs various stakeholders, including government bodies, civil society, and researchers, about the minimum income needed for a healthy diet. It can guide social protection measures and nutrition education interventions, ensuring they target vulnerable populations.
In regions with particularly high CoHD, stakeholders can identify and address supply chain issues affecting specific food groups. This can lead to improved production, distribution, or market access strategies. The CoHD metric fosters collaboration among policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors focused on food security. By pinpointing the factors driving the high costs of healthy diets, stakeholders can develop effective strategies to enhance food access, availability, and affordability.
