Abuja: An economist, Ephraim Audu, highlights the growing impact of rising food inflation on Nigerian households, despite a reported decline in headline inflation to 15.43 percent in July.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Audu, who serves as the President of the Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), discussed the current economic challenges faced by Nigerian households in an interview. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently reported a decrease in headline inflation, dropping by 0.48 percentage points from 15.91 percent in June to 15.43 percent in July. Core inflation, which excludes volatile agricultural produce and energy, also declined to 14.97 percent, down from 15.91 percent. However, food inflation rose sharply on a month-on-month basis to 5.56 percent in July, up from 3.75 percent in June, despite a year-on-year decrease from 26.20 percent in July 2025 to 20.31 percent.
Audu expressed concern over the persistent increase in prices of essential food items, including rice, tomatoe
s, onions, pepper, garri, plantain, beef, eggs, crayfish, guinea corn, ginger, and plantain flour. He noted that Adamawa recorded the highest food inflation rate at 51.36 percent, followed by Katsina at 30.84 percent and Zamfara at 30.65 percent. Despite the decline in headline inflation, the reduction has not provided meaningful relief to consumers, as rising food prices continue to erode purchasing power.
According to Audu, the trend significantly affects poverty levels, food security, living standards, consumer demand, business costs, and investor confidence. Farmers are also under pressure from high input, energy, and transportation costs, potentially reducing their real income and discouraging investment in agriculture. Audu called for urgent and coordinated interventions focused on affordable agricultural finance, mechanization, irrigation, improved inputs, and stronger farmer-to-market linkages.
Mrs. Mutiat Daud, a businesswoman, reiterated that the decline in headline inflation had not translated in
to lower food prices. She emphasized the rising transportation costs due to fuel prices, which have affected overall costs. Mrs. Titilayo Samuel, a public servant, admitted to noticing slight reductions in some food prices but noted that they remain unaffordable for many households.
Mrs. Chika Nwosu, a civil servant, shared that the prices of several food items remained high, putting pressure on household budgets. While she observed slight reductions in prices of some items like okra and garri, the cost of essentials like beans and yam remained high.
NAN reports that, according to the NBS, the three largest contributors to headline inflation on a year-on-year basis were food and non-alcoholic beverages at 6.18 percent, restaurants and accommodation services at 1.99 percent, and transport at 1.64 percent. The bureau attributes the month-on-month increase in food inflation to rising prices of various essential food items.