The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that the ‘National Average Cost of a Healthy Diet’ (CoHD) per adult per day reached N1,035 in April 2024. This represents a 5.4% increase from the N982 recorded in March.
The NBS disclosed these findings in its CoHD report for April 2024, released on Wednesday in Abuja. The report outlines the least expensive combination of locally available items that meet globally consistent food-based dietary guidelines, thus serving as a measure of physical and economic access to healthy diets. Notably, the CoHD excludes the costs of transportation and meal preparation.
To compute the CoHD indicator, the NBS utilized data on retail food prices, food composition data, and healthy diet standards. The bureau highlighted regional variations, with the South-West recording the highest average CoHD at N1,406 per adult per day, followed by the South-East at N1,190 per day. Conversely, the North-West had the lowest average CoHD at N781 per adult per day.
At the state level, Ekiti, Ogun, and Osun recorded the highest CoHD at N1,483, N1,447, and N1,417, respectively. On the other hand, Kogi and Katsina reported the lowest CoHD at N709, followed by Kaduna and Nasarawa at N756 and N769, respectively.
The report noted a steady increase in the CoHD since the bureau’s first report in October 2023, when the cost was N703. The April 2024 CoHD is 40% higher than that initial figure and 5% higher than in March 2024. The food groups contributing most to the increase include vegetables, starchy staples, legumes, nuts, and seeds. In contrast, the cost of meeting recommendations for oils and fats has remained relatively stable since March 2024.
The NBS emphasized the policy implications of these findings, calling for collaboration among policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors focused on food security. “These stakeholders will devise strategies that tackle access, availability, and affordability of a healthy diet effectively. Future research incorporating income can also be used to determine the proportion and number of the population that are unable to afford a healthy diet,” the report stated.
This increase in the cost of a healthy diet has significant implications for food security in Nigeria. Rising prices may put healthy eating out of reach for many Nigerians, exacerbating issues of malnutrition and health disparities. The NBS’s findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address these challenges, ensuring that all Nigerians have access to affordable, nutritious food.
