Food Inflation Surges Above 20% in 11 States, Deepening Cost-of-Living Crisis

New data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows food inflation jumped to 16.06% in April, overtaking headline inflation of 15.69% for the first time in eight months. Eleven states recorded food price increases above 20%, led by Enugu (32.7%), Kwara (30.8%) and Adamawa (30.1%). Staples such as garri, tomatoes, beans and yam drove the surge. Rural areas are hardest hit, with inflation at 16.36% compared to 15.40% in urban centres. Challenges include insecurity, transport bottlenecks and poor storage. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network warns up to 17 million Nigerians may need urgent food aid by November. Experts say high fuel and logistics costs, insecurity and weak infrastructure must be tackled to ease pressure on households.

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