April food prices rise most in Kogi, Kwara, Bayelsa

Prices of food in Africa’s biggest economy surged the most in Kogi, Kwara, and Bayelsa in April, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In Kogi, the price of food items rose by 29.50 percent, followed closely by Kwara State at 29.48 percent. Bayelsa came third as food prices spiked 29.38 percent.

“In April 2023, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (29.50 percent), Kwara (29.48 percent), and Bayelsa (29.38 percent), while Sokoto (19.55 percent), Taraba (20.20 percent) and Jigawa (20.68 percent) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis.”

According to the NBS, the contributions of items on the divisional level to the increase in the headline index are food and non-alcoholic beverages (11.51 percent), housing, water, electricity, and other fuel (3.72 percent); clothing and footwear (1.70 percent); transport (1.45 percent); and furnishings, household equipment and maintenance (1.12 percent).

Others are education (0.88 percent); health (0.67 percent); miscellaneous goods and services (0.37 percent); restaurant and hotels (0.27 percent); alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola (0.24.percent); recreation and culture (0.15 percent) and communication (0.15 percent).

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On a month-on-month basis however, April 2023 food inflation was highest in Cross River (4.65 percent), Bayelsa (3.61 percent), and Ekiti (3.49 percent), while Jigawa (0.14 percent), Katsina (0.44 percent) and Osun (0.62 percent) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a month-on-month basis.

On all classification items, the statistics office noted that Bayelsa, Kogi, and Rivers states recorded the highest figures year-on-year, and conversely, Borno, Taraba, and Sokoto states churned out the least figures under the same period.

Month-on-month, “April 2023 recorded the highest increases in Cross River (3.05 percent), Bayelsa (2.92 percent), Rivers (2.62 percent), while Katsina (0.52 percent), Jigawa (0.74 percent) and Osun (0.96 percent) recorded the slowest rise on month-on-month inflation.