By Muhammad Amaan
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate further declined to 32.15 per cent in August 2024.
The NBS said this in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation Report for August 2024, which was released in Abuja on Monday.
According to the report, the figure is 1.25 per cent points lower compared to the 33.40 per cent recorded in July 2024.
It said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 6.35 per cent higher than the rate recorded in August 2023 at 25.80 per cent.
In addition, the report said on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2024 was 2.22 per cent, which was 0.06 per cent lower than the rate recorded in July 2024 at 2.28 per cent.
“This means that in August 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the average price level in July 2024.”
The report said the increase in the headline index for August 2024 on a year-on-year basis and month-on-month basis was attributed to the increase in some items in the basket of goods and services at the divisional level.
It said these increases were observed in food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel, clothing and footwear, and transport.
Others were furnishings, household equipment and maintenance, education, health, miscellaneous goods and services, restaurants and hotels, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and kola, recreation and culture, and communication.
It said the percentage change in the average CPI for the 12 months ending August 2024 over the average of the CPI for the previous corresponding 12-month period was 31.26 per cent.
“This indicates an 8.88 per cent increase compared to 22.38 per cent recorded in August 2023.”
The report said the food inflation rate in August 2024 increased to 37.52 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 8.18 per cent higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2023 at 29.34 per cent.
“The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis is caused by increases in prices of bread, maize, grains, guinea corn, yam, Irish potatoes, water yam, cassava tuber.
“Others are palm oil, vegetable oil, Ovaltine, Milo, Lipton, etc.”
It said on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in August was 2.37 per cent, which was a 0.10 per cent decrease compared to the rate recorded in July 2024 at 2.24 per cent.
“The decline in food inflation on a month-on-month basis was caused by a decrease in the average prices of tobacco, tea, cocoa, coffee, Groundnut oil, and milk.
“Others are yam, Irish potatoes, water yam, cassava tuber, palm oil, and vegetable etc.”
The report said that “all items less farm produce and energy” or core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce and energy, stood at 27.58 per cent in August on a year-on-year basis.
“This increased by 6.43 per cent compared to 21.15 per cent recorded in August 2023. The exclusion of the PMS is due to the deregulation of the commodity by removal of subsidy.”
It said the highest increases were recorded in prices of rents, bus Journey intercity, Journey by motorcycle, etc.
“Others are accommodation service, laboratory service, x-ray photography, consultation fee of a medical doctor, among others.”
The NBS said on a month-on-month basis, the core inflation rate was 2.27 per cent in August 2024.
“This indicates a 0.11 per cent increase compared to what was recorded in July 2024 at 2.16 per cent.
“The average 12-month annual inflation rate was 25.18 per cent for the 12 months ending August 2024, this was 6.00 per cent points higher than the 19.18 per cent recorded in August 2023.”
The report said on a year-on-year basis in August 2024, the urban inflation rate was 34.58 per cent, which was 6.89 per cent higher compared to the 27.69 per cent recorded in August 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, the urban inflation rate was 2.39 per cent, which decreased by 0.07 per cent compared to July 024 at 2.46 per cent.’’
The report said on a year-on-year basis in August 2024, the rural inflation rate was 29.95 per cent, which was 5.87 per cent higher compared to the 24.10 per cent recorded in August 2023.
“On a month-on-month basis, the rural inflation rate was 2.06 per cent, which decreased by 0.04 per cent compared to July 2024 at 2.10 per cent.”
