By Ayomide Otitoju
Food prices rose on a month-on-month basis in March 2026 as consumers paid more for staples such as eggs, beans, rice, garri and onions, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report showed mixed trends, with several commodities recording sharp year-on-year declines but short-term monthly increases across key food items.
The average price of a crate of eggs (30 pieces) stood at ₦6,127.62, reflecting a 20.12 per cent drop compared to March 2025. However, prices rose by 2.00 per cent from February 2026.
Brown beans (1kg) averaged ₦1,325.85, marking a 49.32 per cent year-on-year decline, but increasing by 1.41 per cent month-on-month.
White garri (1kg) also dropped significantly by 41.19 per cent year-on-year to ₦801.54, though it rose 1.38 per cent compared to February.
The price of onion bulbs (1kg) fell 19.63 per cent year-on-year to ₦1,153.14, but recorded a 1.59 per cent monthly increase.
Fresh ginger (1kg), however, moved in the opposite direction, rising 20.46 per cent year-on-year to ₦5,541.25 and increasing slightly by 0.61 per cent month-on-month.
Across states, Taraba recorded the highest price for eggs at ₦6,999.00, while Niger had the lowest at ₦5,610.04. Oyo State posted the highest price for brown beans at ₦1,937.20, with Taraba again recording the lowest at ₦745.
For garri, Abia State recorded the highest price at ₦1,075.45, while Plateau had the lowest at ₦513.78. Onion prices peaked in Abia at ₦2,115.67 and were lowest in Kwara at ₦829.91.
At the zonal level, the South-East recorded the highest average price for eggs at ₦6,521.47, followed by the North-East, while the North-West posted the lowest.
For brown beans, the South-West and South-South recorded the highest prices, while the North-West had the lowest. The South-South recorded the highest price for garri, while the North-Central had the lowest. Onion prices were highest in the South-East and lowest in the North-Central zone.
