Rising Food Inflation Outpaces Headline Inflation Decline in Nigeria

Nigeria's food inflation is on the rise despite a decline in headline inflation to 15.43 percent in July, according to economist Ephraim Audu.

Audu, who is also the President of Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), stated that food prices continue to increase, affecting households' purchasing power and forcing them to spend more on basic necessities.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a 0.48 percentage point decline in headline inflation from 15.91 percent in June to 15.43 percent in July, but core inflation decreased by 14.97 percent year-on-year, down from 15.91 percent.

Audu listed several essential food items experiencing price increases, including rice, tomatoes, onions, pepper, garri, plantain, beef, eggs, crayfish, guinea corn, ginger, and plantain flour.

Adamawa recorded the highest food inflation rate at 51.36 percent, followed by Katsina at 30.84 percent and Zamfara at 30.65 percent.