Despite Rise in Food Prices, Inflation in Nigeria Eases to 17.75% in June

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

For another month, inflation in Nigeria further moderated in June 2021 by 0.18 per cent to 17.75 per cent from 17.93 per cent recorded in May 2021.

However, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in a report released on Friday, said on a month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.06 per cent in June 2021, 0.05 per cent higher than the 1.01 per cent recorded in May 2021.

The agency stated that the change in the average composite inflation for the 12 months period ending June 2021 over the average of inflation for the previous 12 months period was 15.93 per cent, 0.43 per cent higher than the 15.50 per cent recorded a month earlier.

Last month, all items inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi at 23.78 per cent, Bauchi at 20.67 per cent and Jigawa at 19.81 per cent, while Cross River at 15.53 per cent, Delta at 15.18 per cent and Abuja at 15.15 per cent recorded the slowest rise in headline year-on-year inflation.

But on a month-on-month basis, in June 2021, all items inflation was highest in Kano at 2.22 per cent, Akwa Ibom at 1.98 per cent and Osun at 1.92 per cent, while Bauchi at 0.00 per cent recorded no change in headline month-on-month with Abuja and Cross River recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the general price level of food or a negative food inflation rate).

As regards the food inflation in June 2021, the stats office said the composite food index rose by 21.83 per cent compared to 22.28 per cent in May 2021, indicating that food prices continued to rise in June 2021 but at a slightly slower speed than they did in May 2021.

It was disclosed that the rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, milk, cheese and eggs, fish, soft drinks, vegetables, oils and fats and meat.

On a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.11 per cent in June 2021, up by 0.06 per cent from 1.05 per cent recorded in May 2021.

The average annual rate of change of the food sub-index for the 12-month period ending June 2021 over the previous 12-month average was 19.72 per cent, 0.54 per cent higher than the 19.18 per cent recorded in May 2021.

In the period under review, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi at 30.34 per cent, Enugu at 25.18 per cent and Kwara at 24.78 per cent, while Bauchi at 18.97 per cent, Rivers at 18.92 per cent and Abuja at 17.09 per cent recorded the slowest rise in year-on-year inflation.

However, on a month-on-month basis, food inflation last month was highest in Jigawa at 2.67 per cent, Edo at 2.43 per cent and Cross River at 2.16 per cent, while Lagos at 0.14 per cent, Borno at 0.06 per cent and Kwara at 0.02 per cent recorded the slowest rise in food inflation.

The NBS also stated in its report that the urban inflation rate increased by 18.35 per cent year-on-year in June 2021 from 18.51 per cent recorded in May 2021, while the rural inflation rate increased by 17.16 per cent in June 2021 from 17.36 per cent in May 2021.