For millions of Nigerian workers, the new national minimum wage of N70,000 is no longer sufficient to guarantee adequate nutrition throughout an entire month.

An analysis of the latest National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) report reveals that a worker earning the minimum wage can afford healthy meals for only about 15 days in a month, underscoring the growing gap between income levels and the rising cost of living.

According to the NBS, 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 CoHD is an internationally recognized benchmark used by organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank to estimate the minimum cost of accessing a nutritionally adequate diet.

Based on the report, an adult requires about N4,623 daily to eat three healthy meals, translating to roughly N138,690 monthly. This means the current N70,000 minimum wage can only sustain healthy feeding for approximately half of a 30-day month.

Even for individuals who cut back to two meals daily, the wage would only last around 22 days. Families with dependents face an even more severe financial burden.

A Growing Food Affordability Crisis

At N1,541 per adult per day, maintaining a healthy diet costs about N46,230 monthly for one person. For a household comprising a worker, a non-earning spouse, and a child, the monthly requirement rises to N138,690—nearly double the national minimum wage.

As a result, many families are increasingly forced to reduce meal portions, skip meals, or replace nutritious foods with cheaper alternatives that offer less nutritional value.

Food Prices Continue Upward Trend

The NBS report showed that the Cost of a Healthy Diet increased by 4.38 percent year-on-year and 1.89 percent month-on-month, driven by price increases across major food categories.

Animal-source foods remain the most expensive component, accounting for 39 percent of total diet costs despite contributing only 13 percent of daily caloric intake. Fruits and vegetables account for 16 percent and 14 percent of total healthy diet costs respectively.

State-by-state data show significant variations. Ekiti recorded the highest healthy diet cost at N2,091 per adult daily, followed by Imo (N2,052) and Abia (N1,970). The lowest costs were recorded in Adamawa (N1,004), the Federal Capital Territory (N1,113), and Taraba (N1,149).

Regionally, the South-East recorded the highest average cost at N1,899 per day, while the North-East had the lowest at N1,233.

Beyond Food: Rising Cost of Living

Food expenses represent only one aspect of the economic pressure facing workers. Transportation costs have surged since the removal of fuel subsidies, while rent, electricity tariffs, healthcare, education, and communication costs continue to rise.

Latest inflation data from the NBS indicate that food inflation reached 16.06 percent in April 2026, exceeding the headline inflation rate of 15.69 percent for the first time in eight months. This suggests food prices are rising faster than the general cost of living, further eroding household purchasing power.

Food Insecurity Worsens

The affordability challenge comes amid increasing concerns over hunger and food insecurity nationwide.

The World Food Programme estimates that nearly 35 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2026 due to conflict, climate-related shocks, displacement, and disruptions to food production systems.

The North-East remains the hardest-hit region, with about 5.8 million people experiencing severe food insecurity. Approximately 15,000 residents of Borno State are expected to face catastrophic hunger conditions.

Earlier United Nations projections warned that up to 82 million Nigerians—about 64 percent of the population—could face hunger by 2030 if urgent steps are not taken to improve agricultural productivity and food security.

Children remain among the most vulnerable. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that 6.4 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions.

Government Interventions Under Scrutiny

Government efforts to ease the burden have included large-scale food palliative programmes.

Data from Govspend indicate that the Federal Government spent N13.07 billion on food palliatives between June 2023 and December 2025, distributing items such as rice, spaghetti, and other staples across the country.

Spending increased significantly from N157.34 million in 2023 to N8.31 billion in 2024 before declining to N4.60 billion in 2025.

However, despite these interventions, food affordability remains a major concern, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of palliative measures in addressing structural economic challenges.

Labour Calls for Wage Review

The widening gap between wages and living costs has reignited calls for a review of workers’ earnings.

During the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero urged the Federal Government to provide workers with additional salary support to cushion the effects of inflation pending a fresh review of the national minimum wage.

He warned that Nigerian workers are facing a renewed survival crisis that requires urgent government intervention.

Nutrition Experts Warn of Lasting Impact

Nutritionist and Lead Consultant at Hadassah Nutritional Health Consult, Esther Olorunfunmi Sayo, cautioned that the inability of households to afford healthy diets could worsen malnutrition, especially among children.

She noted that many families are increasingly turning to cheaper foods that satisfy hunger but fail to provide the nutrients required for healthy growth and development.

Sayo encouraged households to maximize seasonal and locally available foods such as maize, vegetables, eggs, seafood, and other affordable protein sources. She also called on government to strengthen security in farming communities, support agricultural production, and improve workers’ welfare.

According to her, prolonged poor nutrition can result in stunted growth, weakened immunity, poor cognitive development, and lifelong health complications for children.

The Bigger Question

The statistics highlight a troubling reality. Even if a worker earning the minimum wage spends every naira solely on food, the income would still cover only about half a month of healthy feeding.

Yet food is just one of many essential expenses. Rent, transportation, electricity, healthcare, school fees, and communication costs all compete for limited household income.

For millions of Nigerians, the challenge is no longer simply that food has become expensive. The pressing question is how families survive during the remaining days of the month when their income has been exhausted, but the need to eat remains. :::