The prices of major food items, including tomatoes, beans, garri, onions, and ginger, recorded fresh month-on-month increases in April 2026, underscoring persistent pressure on household food budgets despite significant year-on-year declines in several staples.
Key Findings from NBS Report
The latest Selected Food Prices Watch report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday showed that the average price of 1kg of tomatoes rose by 6.6 percent to N1,177.92 in April from N1,104.85 in March. However, on a year-on-year basis, the price declined by 8.23 percent from N1,283.57 recorded in April 2025.
Brown beans also witnessed a monthly increase, rising by 0.99 percent to N1,338.93 per kilogramme from N1,325.85 in March. Nevertheless, the commodity recorded one of the sharpest annual declines, falling by 44.89 percent from N2,429.39 a year earlier.
Similarly, the average price of 1kg of white garri increased by 0.93 percent to N808.96 in April from N801.54 in March. Compared with the corresponding period of last year, the price dropped by 39.86 percent from N1,345.1.
The report further showed that onion prices rose by 0.98 percent month-on-month to N1,164.39 per kilogramme from N1,153.14 in March, although they were 22.56 percent lower than the N1,503.56 recorded in April 2025.
Fresh ginger continued its upward trajectory, increasing by 0.73 percent to N5,581.82 per kilogramme from N5,541.25 in March. Unlike most staples, ginger recorded an annual increase of 12.3 percent from N4,970.66 in April 2025.
Palm oil prices also edged higher, with the average cost of one litre rising marginally by 0.12 percent to N2,396.32 in April from N2,393.38 in March. On a year-on-year basis, the commodity increased by 4.77 percent.
Regional Price Variations
Regional analysis showed that the South-South recorded the highest average price of tomatoes at N1,561.1 per kilogramme, followed by the South-East at N1,379.57. The North-West recorded the lowest average price at N822.72.
The South-West and South-South recorded the highest average prices of brown beans at N1,787.09 and N1,764.99, respectively, while the North-East posted the lowest average price at N871.79.
For white garri, the South-East recorded the highest average price at N944.58 per kilogramme, closely followed by the South-South at N944.01. The North-Central recorded the lowest average price at N673.88.
The South-East and South-South also recorded the highest average prices of onion bulbs at N1,735.53 and N1,268.96, respectively, while the North-Central had the lowest average price at N911.4.
Fresh ginger was most expensive in the South-West at N6,812.92 per kilogramme, followed by the South-East at N6,432.15, while the North-East recorded the lowest average price at N881.12.
