The National Bureau of Statistics has said that the average cost of a healthy diet for a Nigerian adult increased from ₦703 in October to ₦786 in December 2023
This was announced on Thursday, February 1, at the unveiling of “The Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD)” indicator report by the Statistician-General of the Federation, and Chief Executive Officer of the NBS, Adeyemi Adeniran.
The CoHD is a method used to assess both the financial and physical accessibility of healthy diets. It indicates the least-priced combination of locally accessible foods that satisfy internationally recognised food-based dietary guidelines.
The indicator, according to Adeniran, was created in cooperation with the Federal Ministries of Budget and Economic Planning, Health and Social Welfare, and Agriculture and Food Security, as well as the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
He said: “This is a lower bound (or floor) of the cost per adult per day excluding the cost of transportation and meal preparation.
“The data for this indicator is derived from the comprehensive food price data, a key component used in calculating the inflation rate.
“This indicator will provide invaluable insights into the current state of nutrition and affordability across the nation.”
He said in October 2023, the average CoHD was highest in the South-East at ₦918 per adult per day, compared to ₦605 per adult per day in the North-East, which was the lowest.
At the state level, the report showed Anambra, Ebonyi, and Enugu recorded the highest cost at ₦950, ₦933, and ₦915, respectively.
While the lowest total diet costs were recorded in Niger, Adamawa, and Bauchi at ₦544, ₦545, and ₦560, respectively.
However, Adeniran, said in November 2023, the report showed the National average Cost of a Healthy Diet was ₦742.
He added: “Also, the average CoHD was highest in the South-East at ₦920 per adult per day, compared to ₦616 per adult per day in the North-East, in November 2023.”
At the state level, the report showed Anambra, Ogun, and Ebonyi, recorded the highest cost at ₦965, ₦939, and ₦937, respectively.
“While the lowest total diet costs were recorded in Bauchi, Adamawa, and Niger at ₦550, ₦562, and ₦572, respectively”, the report stated.
Also, in December 2023, the National Average Cost of a Healthy Diet was ₦786 with the average CoHD recording the highest in the South-West at ₦979 per adult per day, compared to ₦663 per adult per day in the North-West.”
At the state level, the report showed Ekiti, Osun, and Ondo recorded the highest cost at ₦1,052, ₦1,017, and ₦986, respectively.
“While the lowest total diet costs were recorded in Katsina, Niger, and Adamawa at ₦594, ₦635, and ₦654, respectively.”
According to Adeniran, the most costly food group recommendations to follow during the three months under review were animal food sources adding, “This was responsible for 38 percent of the overall CoHD in October, and November respectively, and 39 percent in December.”
In terms of cost per calorie over the course of the three months, he said fruits and vegetables were the most expensive food group, while legumes, nuts, and seeds were the least expensive on average, accounting for 6 percent of the total cost.
