Annual inflation in Nigeria rose in August for the 12th month in a row, reaching a more-than two-year high, as the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the supply of goods and services. Inflation climbed to 13.22% last month from 12.82% in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said. In August 2020, all items index on year on year basis was highest in Kogi (17.29%), Bauchi (15.77%) and Ebonyi and Yobe (14.71%), while Lagos (11.45%), Kwara (11.22%) and Abuja (11.17%) recorded the slowest rise in headline Year on Year inflation. On month on month basis however, all items inflation was highest in Ondo (2.20%), Ogun (2.07%) and Abia (1.87%), while Plateau (0.72%), Zamfara (0.60%) and Sokoto (0.54%) recorded the slowest rise in headline month on month inflation. In August 2020, food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Kogi (22.03%), Kwara (19.11%) and Edo (17.95%), while Gombe (14.33%), Kano (13.99%) and Bauchi (13.42%) recorded the slowest rise. On month on month basis however, food inflation was highest in Ogun (3.27%), Lagos (3.13%) and Abia (2.81%), while Plateau (0.67%), Zamfara (0.24%) and Sokoto (0.13%), recorded the slowest rise.
Prices increased in August across the range of goods and services, rising more in cities than in rural areas, the NBS report said. A separate index for food, which accounts for the bulk of the inflation basket, showed prices rose 16.0% last month compared with 15.48% in July. Food inflation has been in double digits for more than three years. Nigeria faces economic hardship from the coronavirus outbreak and this year’s plunge in crude prices. The government expects the economy to contract by as much as 8.9 per cent this year. According to NBS “The consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation increased by 13.22 percent (year-on-year) in August 2020. This is 0.40 percent points higher than the rate recorded in July 2020 (12.82 percent). Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index. On a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.34 percent in August 2020. This is 0.09 percent higher than the rate recorded in July 2020 (1.25 percent).
“The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending August 2020 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 12.23 percent, representing a 0.18 percent point rise from 12.05 percent recorded in July 2020. The urban inflation rate increased by 13.83 percent (year-on-year) in August 2020 from 13.40 percent recorded in July 2020, while the rural inflation rate increased by 12.65 percent in August 2020 from 12.28 percent in July 2020. On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.42 percent in August 2020, up by 0.15 from 1.27 percent recorded in July 2020, while the rural index also rose by 1.27 percent in August 2020, up by 0.04 from the rate recorded in July 2020 (1.23 percent). The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index was 12.85 percent in August 2020. This is higher than 12.66 percent reported in July 2020, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in August 2020 was 11.66 percent compared to 11.49 percent recorded in July 2020.
“The composite food index rose by 16.00 percent in August 2020 compared to 15.48 percent in July 2020. This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Bread and cereals, Potatoes, Yam and other tubers, Meat, Fish, Fruits, Oils and fats and Vegetables. On month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.67 percent in August 2020, up by 0.15 percent points from 1.52 percent recorded in July 2020. The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending August 2020 over the previous twelve-month average was 14.87 percent, representing a 0.24 percent points increase from the average annual rate of change recorded in July 2020 (14.63 percent). The ”All items less farm produce” (or Core inflation), which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 10.52 percent in August 2020, up by 0.42 percent when compared with 10.10 percent recorded in July 2020. On month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 1.05 percent in August 2020. This was up by 0.30 percent when compared with 0.75 percent recorded in July 2020. The highest increases were recorded in prices of Passenger transport by air, Hospital services, Medical services, Pharmaceutical products, Maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment, Vehicle spare parts, Motor cars, Passenger transport by road, Miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling, Repair of furniture and Paramedical services. The average 12-month annual rate of change of the index was 9.64 percent for the twelve-month period ending August 2020.This is 0.16 percent points higher than 9.48 percent recorded in July 2020”.
