The Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) has increased by 7.3%, from N1,255 in August to N1,346 in September, a recently published report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.

According to the report by the NBS, CoHD is the minimum cost of locally available food items that meet globally consistent food-based dietary guidelines and used as a metric for gauging food accessibility. This cost also excludes the cost of transportation and meal preparation.

The report revealed that Osun, Ogun and Lagos states had the highest CoHD in September, while Katsina, Jigawa and Kebbi accounted for the lowest costs, with N1,043, N1,087 and N1,118, respectively.

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“The National average Cost of a Healthy Diet was N1,346 per adult per day in September 2024. At the state level, Osun, Ogun and Lagos states recorded the highest cost with N1,661, N1,650, and N1,639, respectively. Katsina, Jigawa and Kebbi accounted for the lowest costs with N1,043, N1,087 and N1,118 respectively,” the report read in part.

“At the zonal level, the average CoHD was highest in the South West zone at N1,598 per day, followed by the South-South zone with N1,462 per day. The lowest average cost of a healthy diet was recorded in the North West zone at N1,144 per day.”

It further noted that animal-source foods such as fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products, providing 13% of the total calories, were the most expensive food group recommendation to meet in September and accounted for 36% of the total CoHD.

A SLIPPERY SLOPE

Jonathan Aremu, a professor of International Economic Relations at Covenant University and consultant with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Common Investment Market, told FIJ on Tuesday that the increasing cost of a healthy diet in Nigeria would lead the country down a slippery slope of declining productivity and a low standard of living.

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“Many people will no longer be able to afford healthy diets as the cost of a healthy diet increases,” he said.

“If people can no longer eat well, there will be a decrease in productivity and the country’s economy will suffer for it, as many people will no longer be able to produce at the required level of productivity. When productivity reduces, the standard of living will become low.”

He linked declining productivity with scarcity and an increase in the prices of goods and services.

According to the professor, a decline in productivity and inflation were not the only issues to be worried about as far as increasing the CoHD was concerned.

“With the increasing CoHD affecting the affordability of healthy meals, many people would fall ill. Also, the cost of treatment is expensive and many people would die as a result. If this doesn’t happen, the country will record a spike in malnourishment,” he added.

This report by the NBS sheds a new perspective on Nigeria’s bludgeoning food inflation. The country has seen a spike in food inflation. In October, FIJ reported that food was no longer cheap in rural areas.