If it feels like everyday expenses have risen sharply in the past few years, that perception is widely shared. Many households report that the same basket of groceries now accounts for a much larger share of their income than it did in 2020.

However, one widely cited benchmark appears to tell a different story. Nigeria’s score on the Numbeo Groceries Index moved only marginally from 30.4 in mid-2020 to 30.6 in mid-2025. On the surface, this suggests that grocery prices, at least in relative terms, have remained broadly stable over that period.

This apparent disconnect between perception and index data raises an important question: are prices truly stable, or does the measure reflect something different from the day-to-day reality of domestic consumers?

The lived reality of these price pressures has been a central topic among netizens. On X (formerly Twitter), user Olabode Ifeanyi drew attention to how inflation has quietly reshaped household expenses, arguing that any worker whose salary had not increased sixfold since 2020 had effectively become poorer.

His post compared the total cost of the same basket of grocery items purchased in 2020 and again in 2026, illustrating the scale of price escalation. According to the figures shared, the total cost rose from N25,225 in 2020 to N147,050 in 2026, a 582% increase.

The viral comparison shared on X highlights nominal price increases for specific household items, which may better reflect the lived experience of inflation. Therefore, the contradiction between the modest change in Numbeo’s index and the sharp rise in actual grocery bills suggests that relative price indices may not fully capture the decline of domestic purchasing power.

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In recent years, Nigeria’s rising cost of living has become a defining economic pressure for households, steadily eroding purchasing power. Data from Numbeo’s Groceries Index, which tracks the cost of essential supermarket food items, shows that Nigeria’s index in mid-2025 stands at 30.6. This is an increase of 0.2 compared to 2020, showing a moderate difference between prices then and now

30.4 in mid-2020 and 30.6 in mid-2025. The index spiked to 37.5 in 2024, reflecting intense price pressures, before dipping to 24.5 in 2023, a period that coincided with temporary price adjustments rather than sustained relief for consumers.

Beyond the index numbers, the reality of these prices has played out vividly in everyday conversations online. On X (formerly Twitter), user Olabode Ifeanyi drew attention to how inflation has quietly reshaped household welfare. He argued that any worker whose salary had not increased sixfold since 2020 had effectively become poorer.

The post compared the total cost of the same set of grocery items purchased in 2020 and again in 2026, revealing the scale of price changes experienced by Nigerians. According to the figures shared, the total cost rose from N25,225 in 2020 to N147,050 in 2026, representing a 582% increase.

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However, one widely cited benchmark appears to tell a different story. Nigeria’s score on the Numbeo Groceries Index moved only marginally from 30.4 in mid-2020 to 30.6 in mid-2025. On the surface, this suggests that grocery prices, relative to the global market, have remained broadly stable over that period.

This apparent disconnect between perception and index data raises an important question: are prices truly stable, or does the measure reflect something different from the day-to-day reality of domestic consumers?

The lived reality of these price pressures has been a central topic among netizens. On X (formerly Twitter), user Olabode Ifeanyi drew attention to how inflation has quietly reshaped household expenses, arguing that any worker whose salary had not increased sixfold since 2020 had effectively become poorer.

His post compared the total cost of the same basket of grocery items purchased in 2020 and again in 2026, illustrating the scale of price escalation. According to the figures shared, the total cost rose from N25,225 in 2020 to N147,050 in 2026, a 582 per cent increase.

The viral comparison shared on X highlights nominal price increases for specific household items, which may better reflect the lived experience of inflation. Therefore, the contradiction between the modest change in Numbeo’s index and the sharp rise in actual grocery bills suggests that relative price indices may not fully capture the decline of domestic purchasing power.

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Thank you for sticking with Pocket Science throughout 2025. Every read, share, and quiet nod of agreement truly mattered.

This year was about understanding your pocket better, spending with intention, and asking smarter questions about everyday money choices. Knowing these stories made you pause, rethink a decision, plan, or spend a little wiser is exactly what kept the writing going week after week.

Looking back at the stories you engaged with the most, we’ve picked five that were read the most. These pieces resonated with you, spoke directly to your pockets, and, truthfully, spoke to ours at Dataphyte too. Along the way, they taught us a thing or two, edition after edition.

Here are the five stories that spoke to your pockets the most in 2025.

Top Pick 1

The most read edition of Pocket Science in 2025 was “How Trump’s tariffs might affect Nigeria’s consumer market.”

The report examined how President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China were already shaking global trade, with Nigeria far from insulated. Given Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports from the U.S. and China, higher production and trade costs in those countries were likely to find their way into prices back home.

With the naira already under pressure and import clearing costs climbing sharply, the impact was expected to show up most in everyday consumer goods like cars, machinery, and electronics. While turning to alternative markets or supporting locally assembled vehicles could help soften the blow, trade tensions of this kind typically land first and hardest on consumers.

Top Pick 2

The second most read Pocket Science edition in 2025 was “Your income, your pocket, and what the government takes.”

The report broke down Nigeria’s new tax reform laws signed in 2025 and set to take effect in January 2026, cutting through the confusion and misinformation that followed their announcement. It explained who is required to pay tax, how the new personal income tax thresholds work, and what the changes mean for everyday earners.

Under the new rules, individuals earning below N800,000 annually are exempt from personal income tax, while those above the threshold are taxed only on the portion of income that exceeds it, at rates ranging from 0% to 25%. The report also explained the newly introduced N500,000 rent relief, how VAT remains at 7.5% on most goods and services, and why tax compliance, including TIN registration and timely filing, is no longer optional.

While the reforms promise relief for low-income earners and exemptions on essential goods, the report highlighted the real trade-off Nigerians face: clearer rules and potential benefits on one hand, and stricter enforcement with financial penalties on the other.

Top Pick 3

The third most-read Pocket Science story in 2025 was “Tapping Opportunities in Nigeria’s Rising Agro-Export Market.”

The report showed how Nigeria’s agricultural exports surged to N1.70 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a sharp expansion in Nigeria’s role in global food trade. This growth was driven by strong international demand for commodities such as cocoa, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, and ginger, with buyers spread across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Beyond the headline numbers, the report highlighted how the export boom is opening doors not just for large-scale producers, but also for smallholder farmers, traders, aggregators, and young entrepreneurs. It explained the support already available through institutions like the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, including export readiness tools, training, and access to funding.

At the same time, the story stressed that success in agro-exports depends on meeting strict international standards around quality, documentation, and traceability. With growing tariff concessions from major partners like China and the UK, the report concluded that agricultural exports are fast becoming one of Nigeria’s most accessible income opportunities, provided exporters do their homework and play by the rules.

Top Pick 4

The fourth most-read Pocket Science story in 2025 was “The Price of Cheap in Nigeria’s Living Costs and Buying Power.”

The report unpacked the popular idea that Nigeria is a cheap place to live, showing how that perception falls apart when purchasing power is taken into account. While global rankings place Nigeria among the lowest-cost countries in Africa, the data also reveals that Nigerians have the weakest buying power on the continent.

Using cost-of-living and purchasing-power indices, the report explained how the Naira’s devaluation, especially after the 2023 exchange rate reforms, made Nigeria appear cheaper in global comparisons while simultaneously making everyday life harder for citizens. Despite some improvement in Nigeria’s cost-of-living ranking over time, purchasing power continued to decline, meaning incomes failed to keep pace with rising prices.

By comparing Nigeria with countries like Botswana and South Africa, the story showed that affordability is less about how cheap a country looks and more about how much people can actually buy with what they earn.

Top Pick 5

The fifth most-read Pocket Science story in 2025 was “Why Nigeria’s Poverty Reality Defies the New $3 Benchmark.”

The report examined the World Bank’s decision to raise the global poverty line from $2.15 to $3 per person per day and why this new benchmark still struggles to capture the lived reality of poverty in Nigeria. While the revision reflects updated price levels and purchasing power data, Nigeria’s exchange rate pressures and rising living costs complicate how meaningful the line is on the ground.

By converting the $3 threshold at prevailing exchange rates, the piece showed that Nigerians would need over N4,400 per person per day to be considered above the poverty line, a level far beyond what most households earn.

Using trends in the exchange rate, food inflation, and the cost of a healthy diet, the story highlighted how vulnerable millions of Nigerians remain. It concluded that poverty in Nigeria extends beyond those officially counted as poor, encompassing a large group living just above the line and exposed to falling back with even minor economic shocks.

As we head into 2026, we hope your pockets stay resilient, intentional, and a little smarter than before. We’ll be right here, breaking things down, offering practical tips, and talking money the way it actually shows up in real life.

Here’s to many more insights, one pocket at a time.

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As 2025 draws to a close, hunger in Nigeria is worsening, edging back toward levels seen two decades ago, especially for children.

According to the 2025 Global Hunger Index, which tracks hunger at global, regional, and national levels, Nigeria ranked 115th out of 123 countries. With a score of 32.8, Nigeria falls within the “serious” category of hunger and ranks second in West Africa.

Trend data shows that hunger in 2025 may be as severe as levels recorded two decades ago. In 2000, Nigeria recorded a score of 38.2, reflecting widespread malnutrition and limited access to food. This improved over time, dropping to 32.3 in 2008 and further to 29.9 in 2016, signalling a gradual reduction in hunger.

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December in Nigeria is never just another month. It’s a full social season on its own, packed with concerts, homecomings, travel, parties, gift exchanges, and family gatherings. The season pulls people into a steady rhythm of celebration across the country.

But as December 2025 approaches, the economic backdrop feels different from what Nigerians saw earlier in the year. Inflation has been easing for about eight months, and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that headline inflation dropped to 16.05 percent in October, down from 18.02 percent in September. It’s a 1.97 percentage point decline that hints at a slowdown in how fast prices are rising. The big question now is whether this relief will lead to a more affordable December for people across the country.

From January to October 2025, Nigeria’s inflation rate dropped from 24.5 percent to 16.05 percent, a decline of roughly 8.4 percentage points. But a lower inflation rate does not automatically mean lower prices. It only means that prices are rising more slowly than before, not that costs have returned to earlier or more affordable levels.

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Every December, many Nigerians travel across the country to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with loved ones. For many, it is a moment to reconnect with family and take a break from the pressures of the year, but the increasing cost of travel during this period makes it difficult.

The data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that between 2020 and 2024, the average transport costs between November and December increased by 9.18% for bus travel and 2.26% for air travel. This pattern shows a striking disparity in how festive season price surges affect Nigerians depending on their preferred mode of transport. While both air and road travellers experience December fare increases, bus commuters, who make up the bulk of domestic travellers, face far steeper hikes, pointing to a persistent vulnerability among lower-income travellers during peak travel seasons.

This disparity has been attributed to a combination of fuel price fluctuations, a lack of regulation, and a surge in demand for bus operators during December. For example, the removal of petrol subsidies in 2023 directly translated into a 19.26% fare spike between November and December, the highest in five years.

On the other hand, airlines, which operate on structured pricing and advanced booking systems, experience smaller, more controlled increases. The effect is that while wealthier Nigerians who fly may adjust to slight fare hikes, millions who depend on buses for inter-state movement bear the brunt of seasonal inflation.

A year-by-year review shows that bus travel costs rose sharply in 2020 (13.01%), likely linked to post-COVID reopening pressures, eased in 2021 and 2022, and then soared in 2023 (19.26%), following the removal of fuel subsidies and inflationary pressures. By 2024, the rate of increase (5.14%) had stabilised slightly.

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According to a new Informal Economy Report by Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, 79 per cent of businesses in Nigeria’s informal sector say their operating costs have risen over the past year.

The report, which surveyed 400 informal business owners across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, attributes this rise in operating expenses to persistent economic pressures, including higher supplier prices, rising transportation costs, and the continued depreciation of the Naira. Nigeria’s informal sector comprises street vendors, small-scale traders, service providers, and subsistence farmers, collectively forming a critical part of the country’s economic fabric.

In 2024, Moniepoint reported that Nigeria is home to approximately 40 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Of these, it is estimated that about 89.4 per cent are in the informal economy. However, for millions of Nigerians who rely on informal trade for their survival, this finding reflects the challenges of Nigeria’s informal economy.

The informal sector, often driven by unemployment, employs more than 70 per cent of the country’s labour force, meaning that a large number of Nigerians within the labour force survive based on the profits they make from their everyday business.

Moniepoint’s latest survey reveals that 42 per cent of respondents saw a significant rise in their operating costs, while 37 per cent reported a slight increase. Only 17 per cent said their expenses stayed the same, and just 5 per cent experienced any form of decrease.

In essence, nearly eight in ten informal business owners are struggling with rising operational costs, which reflects the broader economic strain on Nigeria’s informal economy.

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As of August 2025, 54 per cent of households in Nigeria had benefited from the government’s Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) programme, leaving a 46 per cent coverage gap. This was revealed in the latest update released on September 17 by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

According to the ministry, under the National Social Safety Net Project Scale Up (NASSP-SU), 15 million of Nigeria’s vulnerable households will receive N75,000 in three instalments of N25,000 each for a period of three months.

The cash transfer programme aims to cushion the effects of rising prices, providing economic relief to vulnerable households across Nigeria.

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The last edition of Dataphyte’s Pocket Science explored how the World Bank’s new $3 global poverty line reshapes Nigeria’s poverty statistics, and why the numbers may still fall short of reflecting lived realities.

Below are key charts from the report illustrating how the World Bank’s revision changes the global and Nigeria’s poverty picture.

In June, the World Bank revised the global poverty line, raising it from $2.15 to $3.00 per person per day. The adjustment accounts for differences in price levels across countries, making the benchmark a more accurate reflection of the real cost of meeting basic needs.

According to World Bank data, using 2018 estimates, more Nigerians fall below the $3 per day threshold than under the previous $2.15 benchmark. While there is no official or publicly available update yet on how many Nigerians currently live below this new line, the 2018 data offers a telling glimpse: about 71 million Nigerians were already living under the $3 benchmark at the time.

This suggests that millions more may now be classified as poor, not necessarily because their incomes have declined, but because the new poverty line better reflects the rising cost of survival.

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In June, the World Bank revised the global poverty line, raising it from $2.15 to $3.00 per person per day. The adjustment accounts for differences in price levels across countries, making the benchmark a more accurate reflection of the real cost of meeting basic needs.

The revision is based on updated purchasing power parity (PPP) data from 2017 to 2021 and improvements in how well-being is measured, especially in low-income countries.

The significance of this change is that millions of people who were previously classified as living just above the poverty line may now fall below it, not necessarily because their living standards declined, but because the threshold for poverty has been raised to better reflect reality.

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In September 2025, the office of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee gazetted the new tax reform acts as part of its implementation process in January 2026.

The new tax acts were signed into four bills by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025 to enhance tax compliance and increase revenue. The bills include the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.

These bills have been debated for several reasons, from their effectiveness to accountability, transparency, and direct benefits. It has also caused misinformation and misinterpretation among Nigerians on social media, mostly on the tax that applies to individuals, such as the personal income tax, N500,000 rent relief, including value-added tax.

However, this is a transformative journey aimed at simplifying tax regulations and enhancing clarity in Nigeria, according to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

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Nigeria’s agricultural import climbed to N2.22 trillion in the first half of 2025, raising fresh concerns about the Federal Government’s trade policies and their impact on the cost of living.

Farmers and economic analysts attribute the surge to the 150-day duty-free window introduced in 2024. While the policy was designed to stabilise food prices, they warn it may be deepening Nigeria’s reliance on imports and weakening incentives for local production.

The Duty-Free Window and Its Origins

The 150-day duty-free window was introduced by the Federal Government in the second half of 2024 as a short-term response to Nigeria’s worsening food inflation. Under the policy, import duties were waived on selected staple food items, including rice, beans, garri, and wheat, for a period of 150 days. The measure was aimed at reducing the cost of these essential commodities and easing pressure on household spending amid inflation.

By August 2024, reports indicated that the policy was beginning to ease inflation, as it helped reduce the cost of raw produce and imported processed foods. However, critics argue that the measure was not matched with adequate support for local producers, a gap that could weaken the agricultural sector and put smallholder farmers at risk.

A Decade-High Import Bill

Nigeria’s foreign trade data shows that Nigeria’s agricultural imports have always been on the rise over the last six years. However, Nigeria recorded its highest agricultural imports in the first half of 2025 compared to the first half of any year since 2020. For instance, between the first half of 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports rose by 321% from N527 billion to N2.22 trillion, respectively.

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The Nigerian government recently announced the introduction of a 5% surcharge on every litre of fossil fuel, coming 26 months after the removal of petrol subsidies. The policy is significant, given the substantial share of income Nigerians spend on transportation.

According to the Nigerian Workplace Report, between 5% and 10% of workers in Nigeria already spend about 24% of their income on transportation. This suggests that the new surcharge could further drive up transportation expenses and, by extension, the overall cost of living for Nigerians.

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83% of Nigerian workers are not emotionally invested in their jobs, but this is not the worst reality Nigerian workers have faced. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report, Nigeria ranked 25th out of 36 countries, with only 17% of employees engaged in their workplace.

Employee engagement reflects the involvement and enthusiasm workers bring to their jobs. Gallup notes that employees are more likely to be engaged when their basic needs are met, when they have a chance to contribute, feel a sense of belonging, and access opportunities to learn and grow.

In Nigeria, however, low wages, poor economic conditions, and limited career growth restrict these possibilities. Inflation continues to erode disposable income, leaving many Nigerians living paycheck to paycheck, barely able to cover essentials such as food, transportation, housing, and healthcare. The financial consequences of disengagement often translate into stagnant earnings, career setbacks, and ongoing struggles with the rising cost of living.

While the share of engaged Nigerian workers has grown by 21% between 2023 and 2025, this progress has done little to cushion workers from broader economic pressures. The reality remains that Nigeria’s economic headwinds weigh heavily on the employed, unemployed, and underemployed alike.

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The cost of living in Nigeria has once again sparked debate. The latest discussion emerged when a group compared expenses during a trip to Ghana, concluding that Nigeria is far cheaper to live in.

Data supports this perception, at least on the surface. As of mid-2025, Nigeria’s cost of living index stood at 25.7, ranking 19th out of 24 African countries, according to Numbeo. This places Nigeria among the cheapest and five places below Ghana, which ranked 13th.

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In less than a year after Nigeria raised its minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, inflation has already cut its real value to N53,379, Dataphyte analysis shows. This drop, measured between January and July 2025, comes despite an official 84% fall in inflation in the first half of the year, a decline largely driven by a rebased consumer price index rather than a real fall in prices.

This erosion of value has reinforced concerns among Nigerians and labour unions. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says the N70,000 wage, signed into law in July 2024 after months of negotiations, is still not enough to meet basic living expenses. Online, Nigerians are also running their own “purchasing power math,” calculating how rising prices have eaten into their earnings.

The real issue remains; inflation steadily erodes the value of money, making essentials less affordable and wage increases short-lived.

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In less than a year after Nigeria raised its minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, inflation has already cut its real value to N53,379, Dataphyte analysis shows. This drop, measured between January and July 2025, comes despite an official 84% fall in inflation in the first half of the year, a decline largely driven by a rebased consumer price index rather than a real fall in prices.

This erosion of value has reinforced concerns among Nigerians and labour unions. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says the N70,000 wage, signed into law in July 2024 after months of negotiations, is still not enough to meet basic living expenses. Online, Nigerians are also running their own “purchasing power math,” calculating how rising prices have eaten into their earnings.

The real issue remains; inflation steadily erodes the value of money, making essentials less affordable and wage increases short-lived.

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Major mobile network operators in Nigeria continue to offer competitive data plans in a bid to attract and retain subscribers. As of July 2025, the pricing and value of weekly data bundles vary significantly across providers such as MTN, Airtel, GLO, and 9mobile, each tailoring its offerings to different user needs and consumption habits.

Among these, Airtel offers the most value for its weekly data plan, providing a total of 3.7GB for N1,000. This includes core data bundles, YouTube Night bonuses, and an additional 200MB for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. MTN and GLO follow, offering 2.6GB and 3.5GB, respectively, for the same duration and price point. 9mobile, on the other hand, provides a total of 3.5GB, but at a higher cost of N1,500, significantly more than its competitors.

These variations in pricing, data volume, and bonus allocations reflect each network’s strategic response to rising operational costs and shifting consumer behaviour.

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Nigeria’s agricultural exports reached N1.70 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a notable increase from N1.54 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2024 and nearly doubling the N89 billion recorded in Q3 2024. Compared to Q1 2023, when export earnings stood at just N28 billion, the growth reflects a significant shift in Nigeria’s participation in global agricultural trade.

This expansion is being driven by increasing international demand for Nigerian agricultural commodities such as cocoa, ginger, sesame seeds, and cashew nuts, products that are widely cultivated across the country. Importantly, this growth is not limited to large-scale exporters. With appropriate support and access to information, smallholder farmers, aggregators, traders, and entrepreneurs can participate in and benefit from the export value chain.

To support and sustain this progress, several policies and initiatives are already in place to encourage broader participation in agricultural exports. These include simplified registration processes, training programs, and financial incentives designed to assist first-time exporters. Government institutions such as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) offer essential tools, including export readiness guides, access to trade intelligence, and linkages to funding opportunities.

The value of agricultural goods exported in Nigeria has increased by over 1000% in the last four years.

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