Borno, Bayelsa, Taraba See Sharpest Food Inflation Increase Despite National Drop

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that Borno, Bayelsa, and Taraba states experienced the highest year-on-year food price increases in May 2025, despite Nigeria’s overall inflation rate easing for the second consecutive month.

According to the NBS’s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report:

• Borno State recorded the highest food inflation at 64.36%,
• Bayelsa followed with 39.85%,
• Taraba posted 38.58%.

The sharp rise in Borno’s food prices is attributed to the persistent insecurity in the region, which has severely disrupted agriculture, displaced residents, and worsened the humanitarian situation.

In contrast, the lowest year-on-year food inflation rates were seen in:

• Katsina at 6.90%,
• Rivers at 9.18%,
• Kwara at 11.31%.

The report stated:

“In May 2025, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Borno (64.36%), Bayelsa (39.85%), and Taraba (38.58%), while Katsina (6.90%), Rivers (9.18%), and Kwara (11.31%) recorded the slowest increases.”

Nationally, the food inflation rate dropped slightly to 21.14% in May from 21.26% in April—reflecting a 0.12 percentage point decrease. However, on a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose to 2.19% from 2.06% in April.

“This increase can be attributed to rising average prices of key food items such as yam, ogbono (wild mango seed), cassava tubers, maize flour, fresh pepper, and sweet potatoes,” the NBS noted.

The agency also noted that the significant drop in annual food inflation—down from 40.66% in May 2024—is largely attributed to a change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) base year.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate declined to 22.97% in May 2025, down from 23.71% in April, representing the second consecutive monthly decrease and a 0.74 percentage point drop.

The report added:

“On a year-on-year basis, the May 2025 headline inflation rate was 10.98 percentage points lower than the 33.95% recorded in May 2024.”

This consistent drop, though partly influenced by base-year adjustments, may offer a glimmer of hope for Nigerian households grappling with soaring living costs—especially food, which continues to be the primary driver of inflation.