Despite a slight national slowdown, Nigeria’s inflation crisis persists in many states, with 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory recording inflation rates above 30% in April 2025, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report shows a national headline inflation rate of 23.71% year-on-year, easing from 24.23% in March and a significant drop from 33.69% in April 2024. On a month-on-month basis, inflation declined sharply to 1.86%, down from 3.90% in March.
Despite this national trend, many states reported alarmingly high figures:
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Enugu recorded the highest inflation rate at 36.0%, with a 12.3% monthly surge. Food inflation stood at 24.4%, with a 3.9% monthly rise.
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Kebbi followed with 35.1% headline inflation and 33.8% food inflation, rising 5.4% and 4.3% month-on-month respectively.
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Niger State posted 34.8% inflation, with a 14.7% monthly increase — the sharpest among the states. Food inflation hit 24.3%, up 5.7% monthly.
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Benue experienced severe food inflation at 51.8% year-on-year, and a 25.6% monthly rise. Overall inflation reached 34.3%, rising 12.8% monthly, largely due to regional insecurity.
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Ekiti saw both overall and food inflation at 34.0%, with monthly increases of 11.0% and 16.7% respectively.
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Nasarawa recorded 33.3% inflation and a 16.0% monthly rise. Food inflation hit 23.3%, up 7.4%.
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Zamfara posted 33.2% inflation with a more modest 4.6% monthly increase. Food inflation was 24.0%, up only 0.4%.
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Abuja (FCT) registered 32.9% inflation and 9.8% monthly growth. Interestingly, food inflation dropped slightly to 22.2%, declining 0.7% month-on-month.
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Delta reported 31.9% inflation, increasing 10.7% monthly. Food inflation stood at 15.9%, up 2.2%, pointing to non-food drivers like housing and transport.
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Gombe recorded 31.0% inflation, up 9.0% monthly, with food inflation at 26.4%, rising 5.8%.
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Sokoto had 30.5% inflation and a steep 16.3% monthly spike. Food inflation was 25.3%, rising 13.1% month-on-month.
These state-level figures underscore the uneven nature of inflation across the country, with food inflation continuing to bite hardest in regions like Benue, Kebbi, Ekiti, and Sokoto, where year-on-year increases surpass the national average. This is exacerbating poverty and worsening food insecurity.
Nationally, food inflation slowed to 21.26% year-on-year, down significantly from 40.53% in April 2024, aided by a new base year and declining prices of essential items like maize flour, wheat, okro, yam flour, soybeans, rice, and beans. Month-on-month, food inflation edged down to 2.06%, from 2.18% in March.
The 12-month average food inflation stood at 31.43%, slightly lower than 32.74% from the previous year.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, also dropped to 23.39% year-on-year, from 26.84% in April 2024. Month-on-month, it declined sharply to 1.34%, down from 3.73% in March. The 12-month average rose to 24.91%, from 22.84% last year.
Other indicators include:
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Energy prices, up 13.6% in April from 9.21% in March.
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Farm produce inflation, down to 0.95% from 2.64%.
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Services inflation, slowed to 2.20% from 3.44%.
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Goods index, rose modestly by 1.89% month-on-month.
Urban inflation stood at 24.29%, while rural inflation was 22.83%, highlighting the continued burden on urban dwellers. The monthly rates were 1.18% and 3.56% respectively.
In summary, while Nigeria’s overall inflation rate is easing, persistent high rates in several states — particularly due to food and energy costs — continue to strain households and erode purchasing power across the country.
ADEOLA KUNLE
