Nigeria’s headline inflation eased marginally in August 2026, but the latest state-level figures reveal a sharply uneven inflation landscape, with Lagos emerging as the state with the highest headline inflation rate.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s headline inflation moderated to 15.39% in August, from 15.43% in July. However, inflationary pressures intensified significantly in several states, highlighting the differing cost pressures confronting households and businesses across the country.
Lagos recorded the highest headline inflation at 23.7%, followed by Zamfara at 22.6% and Enugu at 22.1%.
Here are the 10 states with the highest headline inflation rates in August:
10. Ondo — 15.1%
Ondo State recorded headline inflation of 15.1%, down from 17.3% in July, representing a 2.2 percentage-point decline.
Food inflation also fell sharply, dropping from 26.0% to 15.8%.
Amid broader macroeconomic pressures, the Ondo State Government revised its 2026 budget from ₦524.4 billion to ₦769.4 billion, with the additional ₦245 billion directed towards areas including infrastructure, water supply, healthcare and roads.
9. Osun — 16.0%
Osun recorded headline inflation of 16.0%, up significantly from 10.6% in July.
The 5.4 percentage-point increase was accompanied by a sharp rise in food inflation, which moved from 12.9% to 23.8%.
The state has supported price-moderation initiatives involving traditional institutions, including interventions associated with the Ooni of Ife, Oluwo of Iwo and Timi of Ede.
8. Anambra — 16.0%
Anambra also recorded headline inflation of 16.0%, but unlike Osun, the state experienced a substantial decline from July’s 24.0%.
That represents an 8.0 percentage-point drop, while food inflation fell from 16.8% to 11.2%.
7. Akwa Ibom — 18.6%
Akwa Ibom posted headline inflation of 18.6%, down from 19.9% in July.
Food inflation declined considerably, from 17.1% to 9.6%, giving the state one of the lowest food inflation rates among the 10 states on the list.
6. Rivers — 19.1%
Rivers State recorded headline inflation of 19.1%, rising from 14.0% in July. The 5.1 percentage-point increase was accompanied by a rise in food inflation from 22.2% to 28.4%.
5. Adamawa — 19.4%
Adamawa recorded headline inflation of 19.4%, down dramatically from 33.0% in July. Its 13.6 percentage-point decline represents the largest drop among the 10 states featured.
Food inflation also fell from 51.4% to 38.9%, although it remained exceptionally high.
The state has focused on targeted welfare and palliative interventions, while also approving an increase in the minimum monthly pension for retired civil servants to ₦50,000.
4. Delta — 19.6%
Delta State recorded headline inflation of 19.6%, down from 22.6% in July.
Food inflation also declined, moving from 28.1% to 21.2%.
Against the backdrop of rising construction costs, the state government approved upward reviews of some ongoing infrastructure and construction contracts to reflect increased material costs.
3. Enugu — 22.1%
Enugu recorded headline inflation of 22.1%, a significant increase from 13.8% in July.
The 8.3 percentage-point jump places Enugu among the three states with the highest inflation rates in August.
Interestingly, food inflation moved in the opposite direction, falling from 20.8% to 15.3%.
2. Zamfara — 22.6%
Zamfara ranked second nationally with headline inflation of 22.6%, up from 19.8% in July.
Food inflation also accelerated sharply, climbing from 30.7% to 38.0%.
The figures point to significant food-price pressures in the state, even as national headline inflation moderated.
1. Lagos — 23.7%
Lagos recorded Nigeria’s highest state headline inflation rate in August at 23.7%, rising dramatically from 16.3% in July.
That represents a 7.4 percentage-point increase in one month.
Food inflation also climbed, moving from 26.8% to 30.9%.
As Nigeria’s commercial and economic hub, the figures underline the scale of inflationary pressure facing households and businesses in Lagos, where increases in prices can have broad economic implications.
The Bigger Picture
The August figures underline a striking divergence in inflation trends across Nigerian states.
While national headline inflation edged down marginally, some states recorded substantial increases, while others experienced dramatic declines.
Adamawa posted the largest decline at 13.6 percentage points, followed by Anambra at 8.0 percentage points. On the other hand, Enugu recorded an 8.3 percentage-point increase, followed by Lagos at 7.4 percentage points and Osun at 5.4 percentage points.
Food inflation remains particularly significant. Adamawa recorded 38.9%, followed by Zamfara at 38.0%, Lagos at 30.9% and Rivers at 28.4%.
For households, the figures offer a reminder that the national inflation rate does not necessarily tell the full story of price pressures experienced in individual states.
One important distinction, however, is that this is a ranking by inflation rate the rate at which prices are changing rather than a ranking of the absolute cost of living in each state.
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