By Lucy Adautin
Amidst a continuous rise in inflation, the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) in Nigeria has increased by 32 percent, reaching N1,041 per adult per day in May 2024, up from N786 in December 2023.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released this information on Thursday in its CoHD report for May 2024, attributing the increase to higher prices of starchy staples, legumes, nuts and seeds, and animal-source foods.
A detailed analysis of the NBS CoHD report for the period from December 2023 to May 2024 revealed that the cost of a healthy diet rose by 9.2 percent month-on-month (MoM) to N858 in January 2024 from N786 in December 2023. The CoHD then increased by 9.3 percent to N938 in February and further by 4.7 percent to N982 in March.
This upward trend persisted into April, with the CoHD rising by 5.4 percent to N1,035 and by 0.6 percent to N1,041 in May.
The report stated: “The national average cost of a healthy diet was N1,041 per adult per day in May 2024. The CoHD has been steadily rising over the past six months, since December 2023.
“In May 2024, the CoHD was 32 percent higher than it was in December 2023 (N786). It was also 1.0 percent higher than the cost in April 2024 (N1,035).
“The main drivers of this increase in CoHD are starchy staples, legumes, nuts and seeds, and animal source foods. Vegetables and fruits, on the other hand, saw the smallest increase in price month-on-month”.
On cost share by food group, NBS said: “Animal source foods were the most expensive food group recommendation to meet in May, accounting for 36 percent of the total CoHD to provide 13 percent of the total calories.
“Fruits and vegetables were the most expensive food groups in terms of price per calorie. They accounted for 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of total CoHD, while providing only 7.0 percent and 5.0 percent of total calories in the healthy diet basket.
“Legumes, nuts and seeds were the least-expensive food group on average, at 7.0 percent of the total cost”.
The bureau reported that at the state level, Ebonyi State had the highest average Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD), amounting to N1,225 per adult per day, whereas Kano State had the lowest cost at N898.
On a zonal scale, the South East recorded the highest CoHD at N1,189 per day, while the North West had the lowest average CoHD at N919 per day.
