Inflation Rises to 17.71% in May, Highest in Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Rivers

James Emejo

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation increased to 17.71 per cent in May 2022, compared with the 16.82 per cent it was as of April 2022.

However, the 17.71 per cent recorded in May 2022, represented a 0.22 percentage points decline compared to the 17.93 per cent recorded in May 2021, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed yesterday.

“This means that the headline inflation rate slowed down in the month of May when compared to the same month in the previous year,” the statistical agency explained.

Month-on-month, however, the headline index increased to 1.78 per cent in May, representing 0.02 per cent increase from the 1.76 per cent   recorded in April.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12-month period ended May 2022, over the average of the CPI for the previous 12- month period was 16.45 per cent, showed a 0.95 per cent increase compare to the 15.50 percent recorded in May 2021.

According to the CPI Report for May 2022, obtained from the NBS website, the composite food index rose to 19.50 per cent in May 2022 on a year-on-year basis, declining by 2.78 per cent compared to 22.28 per cent in May 2021.

It explained that the rise in the food in¬dex was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, food products n.e.c, potatoes, yam, and other tubers, wine, fish, meat and oil.

On a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased to 2.01 per cent in May, up by 0.01 percentage points from 2.00 per cent recorded in April.

The average annual rate of change of the food sub-index for the 12-month period ended May 2022, over the previous 12-month average was 18.68 per cent or 0.05 percentage points decline from the average annual rate of 19.18 per cent change recorded in May 2021.

On the other hand, the, “All Items Less Farm Produce” or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile ag¬ricultural produce rose to 14.90 per cent in May 2022, on a year-on-year basis, up by 1.75 per cent when compared to 13.15 per cent recorded in May 2021.

Month-on-month, the core sub-index increased to 1.87 per cent in May 2022, up by 0.65 per cent when compared to 1.22 per cent recorded in April.

According to the statistical agency, the highest increases were record¬ed in prices of gas, liquid fuel, garment, fuel, cleaning, repair and hire of clothing and passenger transport by road.

The average 12-month annual rate of change of the index was 13.83 per cent for the 12-month period ending May 2022.  This was 2.33 per cent points higher than the 11.50 per cent recorded in May 2021.

However, the all-items inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Bauchi (20.62 per cent), Akwa Ibom (20.34 per cent), and Rivers (19.95 per cent), while Kwara (15.45 per cent), Kaduna (15.69 per cent) and Jigaawa (16.15 per cent) recorded the slowest rise in headline year on year.

Month-on-month, however, the month of May recorded the highest increases in Bauchi 3.17 per cent), Bayelsa (2.73 per cent), and Kogi (2.71 per cent), while Yobe (0.22 per cent), Jigawa (0.95 per cent) and Benue (1.07 per cent) recorded the slowest rise on month-on-month inflation.

Food inflation year-on-year in May 2022, was highest in Kogi (22.79 per cent), Akwa Ibom (22.47 per cent) and Kwara (22.21 per cent), while Kaduna (16.46 per cent), Anambra (16.54 per cent) and Jigawa (16.91 per cent) recorded the slowest rise in year-on-year food inflation.

On a month-on-month basis, however, food inflation was highest in Rivers (3.65 per cent), Abia (3.31 per cent), and Ogun (3.23 per cent), while Yobe (0.01 per cent), Osun (0.76 per cent), and Jigawa (0.81 per cent) record¬ed the slowest rise in the period under review.

The urban inflation rate increased to 18.24 per cent (year-on-year), representing 0.27 per cent decline compared to 18.51 percent recorded in May 2021.

On a month-on-month basis, the urban inflation rate rose to 1.81 per cent in May, or 0.03 per cent increase compared to 1.78 per cent in April.

According to the NBS, the corresponding 12–month average percentage change for the urban index was 17 per cent in May 2022. This was 0.91 percent higher compared to 16.09 per cent reported in May 2021.

Similarly, rural inflation rate increased to 17.21 per cent in May 2022 (year-on-year) which was a 0.15 per cent decline compared to 17.36 per cent recorded in May 2021.

On a month-on-month basis, the rural index rose to 1.76 per cent in May 2022, up by 0.02 per cent from the 1.74 per cent recorded in April while the corresponding 12-month average percentage change for the rural inflation rate in May 2022 was 15.91 per cent. This was 0.97 per cent higher compared to 14.94 percent recorded in May 2021.