The cost of preparing Nigeria’s iconic jollof rice has surged by more than 400 percent across every region of the country over the past decade, underscoring how insecurity, climate change, poor infrastructure, and persistent inflation have fundamentally reshaped household food consumption.
The latest SBM Jollof Index Q2 2026 shows that while headline inflation has moderated from its 2024 peaks, the cost of cooking one of Nigeria’s most popular meals continues to climb, revealing deep structural problems in the country’s food system rather than temporary price pressures.
Since SBM Intelligence began tracking the index in 2016, no region has escaped steep increases in food costs. The Southwest recorded the highest increase at 708.2 percent, followed by Northcentral (567.3 percent), South-South (489.9 percent), Northeast (467.5 percent), Southeast (441.3 percent) and Northwest (428 percent).
The report argues that the rising cost of a pot of jollof has become one of the clearest indicators
This post was originally published on this site.
