The average cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice for a family of five in Nigeria rose to ₦30,435 in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 19.4% increase in six months, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence yesterday.
The report links the surge to rising fuel prices, transport disruptions, and global energy shocks triggered by conflict in the Middle-East, which pushed Brent crude above $110 per barrel and drove up domestic fuel costs.
According to the report, petrol prices in major cities climbed above ₦1,300 per litre, while diesel exceeded ₦1,500, increasing logistics costs across food supply chains and feeding into retail food inflation nationwide.
“This edition of the Jollof Index spans October 2025 to March 2026 and distills the turmoil into a single meal. The national average cost of cooking a pot of jollof for a family of five rose 19.4% to ₦30,435. Beneath that average, Abuja markets jumped by double digits, Lagos spiked 23% in a month, and Port-Harcourt completed a six‑month climb of 55 percent”, the report added.
The report noted that traders are frequently adjusting prices in response to fuel and currency fluctuations, contributing to market volatility.
Regional data shows wide disparities in price movements. Lagos recorded monthly increases above 23%, while Port Harcourt saw a 55% rise over six months. Abuja markets remain among the most expensive, with some locations exceeding ₦36,000 per pot.
Despite differences across regions, the report concludes that Nigeria’s food inflation trend is becoming increasingly structural, driven by persistent fuel dependence, logistics bottlenecks, and currency pressures. The report adds that the jollofrice index has become a key indicator of household purchasing power, reflecting how global energy shocks are increasingly shaping everyday food affordability in Nigeria.
The SBM Jollof Index tracks the cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice for a family of five, based on the average household size reported by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as of the last quarter of 2014.
“Jollof rice was chosen because it is a delicacy common throughout Nigeria and West Africa, hence the reason we deemed it a suitable benchmark”, the report said.
