Despite a general -0.35% month on month drop in the average pricing of selected foods for the month of July, 2018, the average price of most of these products was highest in Kogi State.
A report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which analyses food prices using certain selected foods’ price average as a yardstick, Kogi State has the highest average purchasing price of products like Vegetable oil, imported rice, loosely sold Agric rice, Yellow and White garri. Showing a high average in the price of five of the generally listed products, the most for any other state in July.
An analysis of the report reveals that the price of imported rice, which has a general average of N367.64/kg is sold for N536.1/kg in Kogi State. Also Vegetable Oil which retails at an average price of N503.16/litre, retails in Kogi State for N767.5/litre, an additional increase of N264.34.
Other goods way above average in Kogi State include loosely sold agric rice with an original average of N245.58/kg but retails at N608.5/kg while yellow and white garri with averages of N228.82/kg and N224.98/kg respectively, both retail for an increased price of N400.3/kg and N334.6/kg respectively.
This comes on the heels of a statement made by the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Kogi State Government, Kingsley Fanwo. Who when speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in May, admitted that a monthly debt servicing of about N500Million has been the root of the lack of payment of salaries in the state.
The recent NBS report juxtaposed with the current salary issue in Kogi state therefore raises concerns as to how the residents of the state, who are primarily civil servants, are expected to fair.
Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti and Oyo States also follow closely by having the highest cost price of three different food products each.
The report also reveals further a year on year increase of 36.87% in the price of food between July 2017 and July 2018.
A close look at specific goods shows that rice experienced a decrease in its year on year and month on month value with -9.39% and -0.72% respectively, with a new average of N370.79 in July 2018 from N373.47 in June.
Also experiencing reduction in both year on year and month on month analysis are tomatoes and eggs by the dozen, getting to a new price level of N336.29 and N471.75 respectively.
