NBS: Lagos, Imo, Ondo Top States With Highest Food Inflation

• Lagos recorded the highest annual food inflation rate at 34.4% in September 2026, followed by Imo at 33.8% and Ondo at 31.5%.
• Taraba and Yobe recorded negative annual food inflation rates of -7.5% and -0.4%, respectively, while Borno recorded 2.2%.
• Nigeria's food inflation rate stood at 19.59% in September 2026, down from 20.16% in September 2025

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks and general market trends.

Lagos, Imo and Ondo recorded the highest food inflation rates among Nigerian states in September 2026, while Taraba and Yobe recorded negative rates, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The figures show significant differences in food price movements across the country, with some states recording annual increases above 30% while others experienced declines

The NBS reported that Nigeria's food inflation rate stood at 19.59% in September 2026, compared with 20.16% in the same month of 2025.

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On a month-on-month basis, food inflation fell to -1.55% in September, down from 1.02% in August. This indicates that average food prices declined during the month, although price movements varied across states.

Top 10 states with the highest food inflation

Lagos recorded the highest annual food inflation rate at 34.4%, followed by Imo at 33.8% and Ondo at 31.5%.

Delta ranked fourth at 30.6%, while Benue recorded 27.3%. Rivers, Ebonyi, Osun, Oyo and Ogun completed the top 10 states with the highest annual food inflation rates.

The top 10 states with the highest food inflation rates in September 2026 were:

1. Lagos: 34.4%
2. Imo: 33.8%
3. Ondo: 31.5%
4. Delta: 30.6%
5. Benue: 27.3%
6. Rivers: 26.8%
7. Ebonyi: 25.7%
8. Osun: 25.2%
9. Oyo: 24.5%
10. Ogun: 24.2%

Top 10 states with the lowest food inflation

At the other end of the ranking, Taraba recorded the lowest annual food inflation rate at -7.5%, followed by Yobe at -0.4%. These negative rates indicate that food prices were lower than in the corresponding period a year earlier.

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Borno recorded an annual food inflation rate of 2.2%, while Bauchi and Nasarawa both posted 5.3%.

The 10 states with the lowest food inflation rates in September 2026 were:

1. Taraba: -7.5%
2. Yobe: -0.4%
3. Borno: 2.2%
4. Bauchi: 5.3%
5. Nasarawa: 5.3%
6. Kebbi: 5.4%
7. Sokoto: 6.1%
8. Jigawa: 8.1%
9. Kogi: 8.6%
10. Bayelsa: 9.3%

Rice prices crash as dealers announce new cost for 50kg bag

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Rice prices in Nigeria dropped across all major categories in September 2026, with data showing month-on-month declines for Nigerian manufactured, imported long-grain, and imported short-grain rice across multiple bag sizes and retail measures.

Imported long-grain rice recorded the sharpest fall. Its 50kg average price dropped from N56,093.75 in August to N54,328.13 in September, a reduction of N1,765.62 or 3.1%.

Nigerian-manufactured rice in the same size fell from N52,250 to N51,571.43, while imported short-grain rice declined from N52,300 to N50,950.

Source: Legit.ng