THE cost of staple food items increased in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS reported in its Selected Food Watch Price for March 2022 that the price of the most food items increased on a year-on-year and month-on-month basis.
The ICIR had reported how the rising food prices affected Easter celebrations in Lagos and Abuja.
According to the data released by the NBS for March 2022, Abuja recorded the highest prices of wheat flour and beef at N1,375 per 2kg and N1955.90 per 1kg, respectively, while Ebonyi recorded the highest prices for beans and garri at N839.69 and N450.27 per 1kg.
Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Cross River, Abia and Enugu recorded the highest prices of tomato, rice, yam tuber, onion bulb, bread and palm oil at N753.83 per kg, N578.51 per kg, N675 per kg, N872.23 per kg, N650 per loaf and N1117.39 per litre, respectively.
The report says the average price of 1kg of beans (white, black eye, sold loose) increased on year-on-year basis by 46.64 per cent from N345.03 in March 2021 to N505.94 in March 2022.
Also, on month-on-month basis, the price increased by 1.69 per cent from N497.54 in February 2022.
“The average price of sliced bread 500g increased on year-on-year basis by 34.98 per cent from N331.76 in March 2021 to N447.80 in March 2022. On month-on-month basis, the average price of this item increased by 2.23 per cent in March 2022.
“Similarly, the average price of 1kg tomato on year-on-year basis, rose by 53.29 per cent from the value recorded in March 2021 (N267.45) to N409.96 in March 2022. On month-on-month basis, it increased from N393.08 in February 2022 to N409.96 in March 2022 indicating 4.29 per cent growth,” the report added.
In the same vein, the average price of agric eggs (medium size price of one) increased by 27.14 per cent from N48.43 in March 2021 to N61.58 in March 2022. It also grew by 2.93 per cent on month-on-month basis.
The average price of 1kg plantain (Unripe) rose by 43.54 per cent on year-on-year basis from N228.18 in March 2021 to N327.54 in March 2022. In addition, the average price of groundnut oil per bottle stood at N994.62 in March 2022, showing an increase of 46.00 per cent from N681.23 in March 2021.
Based on geopolitical zones, the report shows that the South-East recorded the highest average price of beans ‘’brown sold loose” with N824.59, followed by the South-South with N681.61, while the North-East recorded the least with N299.27.
In the same vein, the South-East recorded the highest average price of sliced bread 500g with N570.89, followed by the South-South with N547.39, while the lowest was recorded in the North-East with N273.27.
The average price of 1kg of Tomato was higher in the South-South and the South-East with N661.97 and N647.95 respectively, while the lowest was recorded in the North-East with N158.07.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.