Half the Month Hungry: Minimum Wage Fails Food Needs

The Insight Team

Nigeria’s new minimum wage may have offered temporary relief to workers, but fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) suggests that it falls far short of guaranteeing something more fundamental — access to a healthy diet.

The NBS’s latest Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) report shows that the average cost of a healthy diet rose to N1,541 per adult per day in March 2026, up from N1,513 in February and N1,477 in March 2025. The increase means that an adult now requires at least N46,230 monthly to maintain a healthy diet based on internationally recommended nutritional standards.

An analysis of the figures shows that a worker earning the national minimum wage of N70,000 can only afford a healthy diet for about 15 days in a month if feeding expenses are the sole consideration. For millions of Nigerians who must also pay rent, transportation, electricity bills, school fees and healthcare costs from the same salary, the reality is even harsher.

The implication is stark: after roughly two weeks, many minimum wage earners are forced to reduce meal quality, skip meals altogether or rely on cheaper foods that do not meet nutritional requirements.

At the current national average of N1,541 per adult per day, the cost of maintaining a healthy diet translates to:N46,230 per month for one adult, N92,460 monthly for two adults and N138,690 monthly for a household of three.

For a worker earning the statutory minimum wage of N70,000, the numbers expose a widening affordability gap.

A minimum wage earner can afford:

About 15 days of healthy meals if eating three times daily and roughly 22 days of healthy meals if meals are reduced to twice daily.

For a typical family consisting of a husband, wife and one child living on a single minimum wage income, the situation is more severe. The monthly cost of a healthy diet for such a household is nearly twice the minimum wage, meaning many families can only sustain basic feeding by drastically reducing meal frequency or nutritional quality.

The NBS noted that the Cost of a Healthy Diet is designed to measure the minimum amount required to access foods that satisfy nutritional requirements for a healthy life, making it a key indicator of food security and affordability.

The report reveals that healthy eating is becoming increasingly difficult because nearly all major food groups recorded price increases.

Animal-source foods — including meat, fish, eggs and dairy products — accounted for 39 per cent of the total cost of a healthy diet while providing only 13 per cent of total calories.

Fruits and vegetables were also among the most expensive components of a healthy diet, accounting for 16 per cent and 14 per cent of total dietary costs respectively.

The NBS said the Cost of a Healthy Diet increased by 4.38 per cent year-on-year and 1.89 per cent month-on-month, reflecting sustained pressure on household food budgets.

Geographical disparities further underscore the challenge.

Ekiti State recorded the highest cost of a healthy diet at N2,091 per adult per day, followed by Imo at N2,052 and Abia at N1,970.

At the other end of the scale, Adamawa recorded the lowest cost at N1,004 per day, while the Federal Capital Territory stood at N1,113 and Taraba at N1,149.

By zones, the South-East recorded the highest average cost at N1,899 daily, while the North-East had the lowest at N1,233.

The latest figures emerge against a backdrop of persistent food inflation and rising living costs.

According to the NBS Consumer Price Index report, food inflation rose to 16.06 per cent in April 2026, surpassing the headline inflation rate of 15.69 per cent for the first time in eight months.

The increase comes despite repeated government interventions and billions of naira spent on food palliatives.

An analysis of government expenditure records showed that between June 2023 and December 2025, the Federal Government spent over N13.07 billion on food-related palliative programmes across the country.

The interventions included the procurement and distribution of rice, grains, spaghetti and other staples to vulnerable households through constituency projects and social intervention programmes.

Yet food affordability remains a growing concern as households continue to grapple with the combined effects of inflation, fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate volatility, rising transportation costs and higher energy bills.

The affordability challenge is unfolding amid warnings of a worsening food security crisis.

The United Nations World Food Programme estimates that nearly 35 million Nigerians are facing food insecurity in 2026, driven by conflict, climate shocks, displacement and the breakdown of local food systems.

The North-East remains the epicentre of the crisis, with about 5.8 million people projected to face severe food insecurity this year.

The agency also warned that at least 15,000 people in Borno State could face catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions if humanitarian support declines further.

Earlier projections by the United Nations suggested that 82 million Nigerians — roughly 64 per cent of the population — could face hunger by 2030 if threats to agricultural production and food systems are not adequately addressed.

The humanitarian consequences are already evident among children.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), about 6.4 million children under five years old are suffering acute malnutrition across the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.

Nutrition experts say the growing gap between incomes and healthy food costs could have long-term health consequences, particularly for children.

Esther Olorunfunmi Sayo, Lead Consultant at Hadassah Nutritional Health Consult, said many households are increasingly unable to afford balanced diets because of rising food prices.

She advised Nigerians to maximise locally available and in-season foods rather than depend on expensive imported options.

“People should embrace home gardening where possible and make better use of foods that are in season. Not every family can afford apples, imported fruits or large quantities of meat regularly,” she said.

According to her, eggs provide a relatively cheaper source of quality protein compared to meat and fish, while seafood and locally available produce can help families maintain nutritional balance at lower costs.

Sayo warned that poor dietary intake among children could result in stunted growth, weakened immunity and other developmental challenges.

“The impact of malnutrition on children goes beyond hunger. It affects growth, cognitive development and overall health outcomes,” she said.

She urged government to improve security in farming communities, support agricultural production and strengthen workers’ welfare to improve access to nutritious food.

The findings also lend weight to growing calls from organised labour for additional support for workers.

Speaking during the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero urged the Federal Government to introduce cost-of-living support tied to workers’ salaries.

He argued that inflation has eroded workers’ purchasing power despite the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.

“Nigerian workers must stand together. Our unity is our greatest weapon. Our solidarity is our strongest shield,” Ajaero said while calling for additional measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs.

For millions of Nigerians, that question captures the reality behind the statistics.

The NBS data suggests that a minimum wage earner can afford a healthy diet for only about half of the month. Yet food is only one item competing for a share of workers’ incomes.

Rent, transportation, electricity, cooking gas, healthcare and education costs continue to climb, forcing households to make difficult trade-offs.

For many families, the answer after day fifteen is familiar: fewer meals, cheaper foods, smaller portions and growing nutritional compromises.

As food prices continue to outpace incomes, the country’s minimum wage increasingly appears less like a pathway out of poverty and more like a reminder of how expensive basic survival has become.