Healthy Diet: N70,000 Minimum Wage Runs Dry After 12 Days – Report

By The Insight Team

Workers earning Nigeria’s N70,000 national minimum wage can afford only about 12 days of healthy feeding if they live in Ekiti, Imo or Bayelsa, where the cost of nutritious meals is highest, an analysis of the latest National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) report has shown.

The analysis found that a worker earning the statutory minimum wage would exhaust the entire monthly salary in about 12 days if it were spent solely on three healthy meals daily in the country’s most expensive states for nutritious food, leaving nothing for rent, transportation, healthcare, education, electricity and other basic household needs.

The findings come as the NBS reported that the average cost of maintaining a healthy diet rose to N1,589 per adult per day in April 2026, up by 3.12 per cent from N1,541 recorded in March.

Compared with April 2025, when the average stood at N1,518, the cost increased by 4.74 per cent year-on-year, reflecting persistent increases in food prices across most food groups.

According to the bureau, the month-on-month increase was driven by higher prices in nearly all food categories, with starchy staples being the only major food group to record a decline.

The report also highlighted sharp disparities in the cost of healthy diets across states.

Ekiti recorded the highest daily healthy diet cost at N2,036, followed by Imo at N2,018 and Bayelsa at N1,909.

At the other end of the scale, Adamawa had the lowest daily healthy diet cost at N1,143, followed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at N1,278 and Akwa Ibom at N1,314.

Regionally, the South-East posted the highest average daily healthy diet cost at N1,830, followed by the South-West at N1,753, while the North-East recorded the lowest regional average of N1,415.

Minimum wage disappears before month ends

Using the NBS figures and assuming an adult consumes three healthy meals daily, the analysis applied the formula: N70,000 ÷ (daily healthy diet cost × 3) to estimate how long the national minimum wage would sustain healthy feeding.

In Ekiti, where the average healthy diet costs N2,036 per day, three healthy meals would require N6,108 daily. At that rate, the N70,000 minimum wage would last only 11.5 days, approximately 12 days.

In Imo, where the daily healthy diet costs N2,018, workers would spend N6,054 daily on three healthy meals, exhausting the monthly wage after about 11.6 days, also approximately 12 days.

Similarly, in Bayelsa, where the daily healthy diet costs N1,909, three healthy meals would cost N5,727, allowing the minimum wage to sustain healthy feeding for only about 12 days.

The situation is relatively less severe in states with lower healthy diet costs.

In Akwa Ibom, where the daily healthy diet costs N1,314, three healthy meals would amount to N3,942, allowing the minimum wage to last about 17 days.

In the FCT, where the daily cost stands at N1,278, workers would require N3,834 daily, stretching the minimum wage to about 18 days.

Adamawa, which recorded the country’s lowest healthy diet cost at N1,143 per day, offered the highest purchasing power among the states analysed. However, three healthy meals would still cost N3,429 daily, meaning the minimum wage would last only about 20 days.

The analysis showed that none of the states examined provides enough purchasing power for a minimum wage earner to afford three healthy meals throughout a 30-day month.

Even in Adamawa, where nutritious food is cheapest, the minimum wage would still be exhausted after about 20 days if spent entirely on healthy feeding.

The calculation assumes the worker spends the entire salary on food alone, leaving no money for housing, transport, electricity, healthcare, school fees, communication or other essential expenses.

Animal-source foods remain the most expensive

According to the NBS, animal-source foods remained the costliest component of a healthy diet, accounting for 40 per cent of the total cost while contributing only 13 per cent of calorie requirements.

Fruits accounted for 16 per cent of the total cost and vegetables 14 per cent, despite contributing only seven per cent and five per cent respectively to total calorie needs.

The bureau said that although prices of starchy staples, oils and fats declined over the past year, increases across other food groups continued to push up the overall cost of maintaining a healthy diet.

The report identified White Beans as the least expensive item in the legumes, nuts and seeds category in 65 per cent of state sectors, while Palm Oil was the cheapest item in the oils and fats category in 62 per cent of state sectors.

Garri White and White Maize grains were the most affordable starchy staples, each accounting for 32 per cent of the least-cost selections across states.

The NBS explained that the Cost of a Healthy Diet measures the minimum amount required to meet recommended daily nutritional needs using locally available foods.

It said the indicator tracks the least-cost combination of foods that satisfies energy and nutrient requirements and serves as an important benchmark for assessing food affordability and monitoring the impact of food price movements on household welfare.

The bureau added that rising healthy diet costs indicate increasing pressure on household food budgets, particularly for low-income families.

Hunger concerns persist

The affordability challenge comes amid growing concerns over food insecurity.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly 35 million Nigerians are expected to face food insecurity in 2026 due to conflict, climate shocks, displacement and disruptions to local food systems.

The agency identified the North-East as the epicentre of the crisis, with about 5.8 million people facing severe food insecurity, including approximately 15,000 people in Borno State projected to experience catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.

The United Nations has also warned that 82 million Nigerians, representing about 64 per cent of the population, could face hunger by 2030 if urgent measures are not taken to improve food production and agricultural productivity.

Children remain among the hardest hit.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) estimates that 6.4 million children under five suffer acute malnutrition across the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.

N13.07bn spent on food palliatives

Analysis of GovSpend data showed that the Federal Government spent N13.07bn on food palliatives between June 2023 and December 2025, mainly through the distribution of rice, spaghetti and other food items across constituencies.

The spending increased from N157.34m in 2023 to N8.31bn in 2024 before falling to N4.60bn in 2025.

The interventions coincided with major economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange liberalisation, both of which contributed to higher food prices.

Despite the expenditure, food affordability remains a major concern, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of palliative programmes in addressing the rising cost of living.

Labour seeks fresh wage review

Speaking during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero called on the Federal Government to grant workers an additional percentage of their basic salaries pending a fresh review of the national minimum wage.

He said Nigerian workers were facing a “renewed crisis of survival” and required urgent intervention to cushion the impact of inflation.

Nutritionist warns of health risks

A nutritionist and Lead Consultant at Hadassah Nutritional Health Consult, Esther Olorunfunmi Sayo, warned that the rising cost of healthy food could worsen malnutrition, especially among children.

“The rising cost of healthy food is forcing many households to make difficult choices. When families can no longer afford balanced meals, they often resort to cheaper foods that may fill the stomach but do not provide adequate nutrients needed for healthy growth and development,” she said.

Sayo advised households to maximise seasonal and locally available foods such as maize, vegetables, eggs and seafood, which offer good nutritional value at relatively lower costs.

She also urged government to improve security in farming communities, support farmers and strengthen workers’ welfare.

“Government must do more to support farmers, improve workers’ welfare and address insecurity in farming communities. Many of Nigeria’s food-producing areas are affected by insecurity, and this contributes significantly to rising food prices and reduced access to nutritious foods,” she said.

She warned that prolonged poor nutrition could result in stunted growth, weakened immunity, poor cognitive development and other lifelong health complications, particularly among children.