Depending on where you live, healthy living can be a simple or costly undertaking. This factor shines out in the diversified environment of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, especially in terms of healthy eating. The country is divided into six geopolitical zones and 36 states, each with its own cost-of-living index.
Eating well in Nigeria appears to have become more of a hardship as inflation has risen and influenced the food industry.
Meals that comprise a healthy balanced diet have grown increasingly pricey, forcing the average Nigerian to pick and choose what to eat every day. As a result, many people have abandoned the option of eating healthy in favor of just avoiding hunger.
The Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) refers to the most affordable combination of locally available foods that meets internationally accepted food-based dietary recommendations. It acts as a measure of the financial and physical accessibility to healthy diets.
The National Bureau of Statistics’ “Cost of a Healthy Diet” report stated that in March 2024, the national average cost of a nutritious diet was N982. This is 4.7% higher than the quantity reported in February 2024 (N938).
In March 2024, the average CoHD in the South West was N1,198 per adult per day, compared to N787 in the North West.
With that said, here are the ten states in the country where eating healthy is most affordable.
10 Nigerian states with the lowest cost for healthy eating.
Rank | State | CoHD (in Naira) |
---|---|---|
1. | Katsina | N739 |
2. | Sokoto | N758 |
3. | Zamfara | N766 |
4. | Kaduna | N777 |
5. | Niger | N810 |
6. | Kogi | N812 |
7. | Kebbi | N821 |
8. | Kano | N821 |
9. | Jigawa | N826 |
10. | Kwara | N838 |