The prices of key food staples, including garri and beans, declined significantly in April 2026, offering some relief to consumers as food inflation pressures continued to ease.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the average price of white garri sold loose fell by 39.86 per cent year-on-year, while brown beans recorded a steeper decline of 44.89 per cent compared with April 2025.

The figures, contained in the NBS Selected Food Price Watch report for April 2026, revealed mixed price trends across major food commodities, alongside notable variations in costs across states and geopolitical zones.

According to the report, white garri sold loose averaged N808.96 per kilogram in April 2026, down from N1,345.10 recorded a year earlier.

On a month-on-month basis, however, the commodity rose slightly by 0.93 per cent.

Brown beans averaged N1,338.93 per kilogram, compared with N2,429.39 in April 2025, representing a 44.89 per cent annual decline.

The commodity also posted a marginal monthly increase of 0.99 per cent.

Tomato prices averaged N1,177.92 per kilogram, reflecting an 8.23 per cent decline from the same period last year, although prices rose by 6.60 per cent compared with March 2026.

Similarly, onion bulbs fell by 22.56 per cent year-on-year to N1,164.39 per kilogram.

In contrast, fresh ginger recorded a 12.30 per cent annual increase, rising to N5,581.82 per kilogram.

The latest data suggests that while food prices remain elevated in some categories, inflationary pressures have moderated compared with a year ago, even as short-term price increases persist for selected items.

Regional Price Variations Persist
Despite the broader decline in staple food prices, the NBS report highlighted significant disparities across states and regions, reflecting differences in transportation costs, supply chains and local market dynamics.

Bayelsa recorded the highest average tomato price at N1,600.73 per kilogram, while Plateau posted the lowest at N730.48.

Oyo had the highest average price for brown beans at N1,938.91 per kilogram, compared with N750 in Taraba.

For garri, Abia recorded the highest average price at N1,075.47 per kilogram, while Plateau again posted the lowest at N517.94.

Onion prices were highest in Abia at N2,191.63 per kilogram and lowest in Nasarawa at N832.16.

At the regional level, the South-South recorded the highest average tomato price at N1,561.10 per kilogram, while the North-West posted the lowest at N822.72.

The South-East had the highest average garri price at N944.58 per kilogram, compared with N673.88 in the North-Central region.