By Faridat Salifu
Food prices are rising sharply in several parts of Nigeria, even as the national year-on-year food inflation rate fell to 21.14% in May 2025 from 40.66% in May 2024.
The drop is largely due to a change in the statistical base year, not a real decline in cost pressure.
Month-on-month, food inflation rose to 2.19% in May, up from 2.06% in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Market observers note that some of the states experiencing the worst food inflation are ironically those with strong agricultural production.
Borno State topped the list with a food inflation rate of 64.4% in May, up dramatically from 21.5% in April.
Despite being a major producer of grains such as millet, maize, and guinea corn, Borno continues to suffer from insecurity, disrupted trade routes, and weak market access.
Bayelsa came second with 39.8% food inflation, a 20.1 percentage point increase from the previous month.
Even with local production of cassava, yam, and pepper, the state relies heavily on food from outside, driving up prices due to transport costs.
Taraba recorded food inflation of 38.6%, up from 20.3% in April, making it the third highest in the country.
The state grows Irish potatoes, rice, and cassava, but faces challenges such as poor road infrastructure and intermittent violence along key supply corridors.
Niger State, known for sorghum, yam, and rice, posted a food inflation rate of 30.3%, a modest 6 percentage point rise from April.
Transport delays and market bottlenecks have worsened in recent months, limiting supply to urban centres.
Sokoto recorded 27.6% food inflation, a small increase from 25.3% in April.
Although the state benefits from steady food production, poor storage and cross-border trade disruptions continue to inflate local prices.
Cross River’s food inflation jumped from 14.5% in April to 27.3% in May.
This 12.8 percentage point leap is linked to seasonal scarcity in crops like cassava, plantain, and maize, as well as regional logistics breakdowns.
Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, reached 26.7% food inflation in May, up from 22.2% in April.
The city’s reliance on food transported from nearby states makes it vulnerable to rising logistics costs.
Ogun State rose from 9.9% in April to 26.54% in May, one of the most dramatic single-month increases on record.
The state produces maize, cassava, and rice, but fuel costs and poor storage infrastructure are undermining market stability.
Kogi matched Ogun’s inflation level at 26.52%, despite being a major producer of yam and cowpea.
Analysts attribute the spike to bad road networks and weak market integration.
Ebonyi posted the lowest rate among the top 10 at 25.9%, but this still marked an 18.7 percentage point increase from April.
Despite its dominance in rice production, the state is battling transport inefficiencies and underdeveloped distribution systems.
Across the board, states with strong agricultural potential are being squeezed by logistics failures, insecurity, and high post-harvest losses.
Market checks in Lagos show that while the price of rice and frozen fish dipped slightly, the costs of tomatoes, pepper, and palm oil continued to rise.
Experts argue that growing food is no longer enough if systemic weaknesses prevent it from reaching consumers affordably.
Without investment in rural roads, storage facilities, and supply chain security, food inflation will remain a structural challenge.
The current figures expose a widening gap between national inflation data and the lived experience of ordinary Nigerians.
In the absence of bold reforms, the country risks punishing the very communities that feed it.
Source :nairametrics.com