Lagos, Nigeria – May 15, 2025 – Nigerians experienced a notable slowdown in the escalating cost of food items in April 2025, as the nation’s food inflation rate settled at 21.26% year-on-year. This figure, released Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), marks a significant deceleration when compared to the steep 40.53% recorded in April 2024.
The primary drivers behind this welcome easing were identified as lower prices for essential commodities such as maize and wheat. Other items, including okro, yam flour, soybeans, rice, and both bambara and brown beans, also contributed to the downward trend in the food price index, which saw a 2.4% dip for the month of April.
Understanding the Numbers: A Closer Look
On a year-on-year basis, the food inflation rate plummeted by a substantial 19.27 percentage points from the April 2024 figure. Month-on-month, there was also a moderation, with April 2025’s food inflation rate at 2.06%, a slight decrease of 0.12 percentage points from the 2.18% seen in March 2025.
“The food inflation rate in April 2025 was 21.26 percent on a year-on-year basis. This was 19.27 percent points lower compared to the rate recorded in April 2024 (40.53 percent),” the NBS stated in its report.
However, the statistics body also provided crucial context, noting that the dramatic drop in the annual food inflation figure is “technically due to the change in the base year” for calculations. This statistical recalibration plays a significant role in the pronounced year-on-year difference.
State-Level Disparities in Food Prices
The NBS report further detailed a varied landscape of food inflation across Nigeria’s states:
- Highest Food Inflation (Year-on-Year, April 2025): Benue State led with a staggering 51.76%, followed by Ekiti at 34.05% and Kebbi at 33.82%.
- Lowest Food Inflation (Year-on-Year, April 2025): Ebonyi (7.19%), Adamawa (9.52%), and Ogun (9.91%) States recorded the most modest increases.
- Highest Month-on-Month Increases (April 2025): Benue State also saw the sharpest monthly rise at 25.59%, with Ekiti (16.73%) and Yobe (13.92%) also experiencing significant month-on-month food price hikes, indicating persistent localized pressures.
Broader Inflationary Trends
In a related development, Nigeria’s overall headline inflation rate, which encompasses both food and non-food items, showed a marginal decline. It eased to 23.71% in April 2025, down from 24.23% in March 2025, suggesting a slight cooling in the general price level across Africa’s most populous nation.
This latest data provides a cautiously optimistic signal for consumers, though the underlying factors, including the base year effect and regional variations, paint a complex picture of Nigeria’s current economic climate.
