James Nuwan, a cleaner in a federal government parastatal in Benue, earns N70,000 monthly. His salary is exactly the nation’s minimum wage and cannot even get him a bag of rice.
From his meagre salary, he is expected to pay the school fees of his five children and provide for them and their mother.
Cooking a pot of rice alone takes nearly half of his salary. He now has to manage the remaining 60 percent to take care of other needs.
But Nuwan is not alone. The latest Jollof Index by SBM Intelligence shows that the cost of preparing a pot of Jollof rice in Nigeria for a family of five has increased sevenfold from 2016 to 2025.
The report entitled, ‘The Crushing Cost of a Pot,’ disclosed that the national average cost of cooking Jollof rice has risen to N28,000 by June 2025 from N4,087 in July 2016.
“The sharpest increases were recorded from 2023 onward, corresponding with the removal of fuel subsidies, naira devaluation following foreign exchange reforms, and increasing insecurity in food-producing regions,” it said.
The report noted that in Bauchi, one of the most affected states, the average cost of a pot of Jollof rice soared to N41,050 by June 2025. The hike is largely attributed to a 433 percent jump in the price of pepper, a 300 percent increase in onions, and a 50 percent surge in the cost of turkey within 10 months.
These inflationary pressures are not unique to Bauchi. Similar price hikes have been recorded in Abuja’s Wuse and Nyanya districts, where the cost of preparing a pot of Jollof rice now exceeds N33,000.
In Lagos, markets such as Balogun and Trade Fair have recorded prices above N23,000, driven by logistics challenges, traffic congestion, and urban demand pressures.
Read also: Cost of making jollof rice surges 7-fold in nine years
Cost of ingredients
Ingredient-level analysis shows that no component of the Jollof dish has been spared. In Kano, the cost of vegetable oil rose from N3,600 in August 2024 to N6,050 in June 2025. Bauchi recorded an increase in turkey prices from N10,000 to N15,000 over the same period. Even relatively stable items such as seasoning and salt have become significantly more expensive, with salt prices rising by up to 75 percent in some urban markets.
Traders and consumers alike report that inflation is altering traditional consumption habits.
“Proteins such as beef and chicken are now unaffordable for many, forcing households to substitute with cheaper alternatives or skip them altogether. Portions are being reduced, and bulk buying once a coping mechanism is becoming less viable due to high upfront costs and poor storage infrastructure,” the report disclosed.
The report pointed out that a Lagos-based caterer shared that the volatile nature of ingredient prices is creating tension with clients.
She noted that she can no longer guarantee stable quotations for catering services because ingredient costs can rise between the time a contract is signed and the event date. She said that substituting ingredients is not an option due to quality and taste expectations, which put additional pressure on her margins.
The data reveal significant regional disparities in pricing, underscoring Nigeria’s fragmented food supply chain.
“Urban areas face higher costs due to transportation and storage challenges, while insecurity in rural and agricultural zones continues to disrupt supply. In places like Awka and Onitsha, over 60 percent of Jollof ingredients are imported from other regions, further exposing them to transportation costs, unofficial levies at checkpoints, and market inefficiencies,” it noted.
Food inflation rising
While there have been some month-on-month reductions in headline inflation, food inflation remains persistently high. Nigeria’s food inflation rose to 21.97 percent in June 2025, compared to the general inflation rate of 22.37 percent.
Analysts say this suggests that food prices are becoming increasingly decoupled from other inflation drivers, pointing to a supply-side crisis that cannot be addressed through monetary policy alone.
In contrast, Ghana has experienced a more volatile but generally downward trend in food inflation. Its Jollof Index rose by 51 percent between January 2023 and June 2025 but has shown signs of moderation due to improved macroeconomic policies, currency stabilisation, and targeted interventions such as fertilizer subsidies and transport cost reductions.
The growing cost of Jollof rice in Nigeria reflects more than just inflation, it signals a structural crisis in food security.
Read also: Cost of making a pot of jollof rice rises 19% to N25,486
Policies needed
The report calls for urgent policy responses that include securing farmlands, rehabilitating roads, improving storage infrastructure, and supporting food imports in the short term.
“Without these interventions, food inflation will continue to strain households and businesses, heightening economic vulnerability and risking wider social discontent,” it said.
