While Nigeria’s overall inflation rate showed a slight improvement in April 2025, new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals that residents in Abuja and 10 other states are still grappling with soaring price increases, with inflation in these areas exceeding 30% year-on-year.
According to the NBS’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, the national headline inflation rate fell to 23.71% in April, down from 24.23% in March 2025, and significantly lower than the 33.69% recorded in April 2024. This marks a 0.52 percentage point drop month-on-month and a notable year-on-year decline of 9.99 percentage points.
Despite this overall moderation, several regions continue to experience extreme cost-of-living pressures. Notably, Enugu, Kebbi, Niger, Benue, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Delta, Gombe, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, all reported inflation rates above 30%.
Enugu Leads with Highest Inflation Rate
Among the high-inflation states, Enugu recorded the steepest year-on-year inflation at 36.0%, with a striking 12.3% increase in the general price index from the previous month. Food prices also remained elevated, with food inflation reaching 24.4% and monthly food prices rising 3.9%.
In Kebbi State, overall inflation stood at 35.1% year-on-year, alongside a 5.4% month-on-month increase. Food inflation was particularly high, climbing to 33.8%—a 4.3% rise compared to March.
Urban and Rural Trends Reveal Mixed Picture
Urban inflation, which reflects price dynamics in cities, stood at 24.29% in April, showing a slight decline from 36.00% in April 2024. The monthly urban inflation figure also fell to 1.18%, down from 3.96% in March.
In contrast, rural inflation was measured at 22.83% on a year-on-year basis, compared to 31.64% in the same month last year. Monthly rural inflation eased marginally to 3.56%, slightly below the 3.73% recorded in March.
A Nation Divided by Price Pressures
The inflationary divide between the national average and state-level figures underscores the uneven impact of economic pressures across Nigeria. While some states benefit from marginal easing in consumer prices, others continue to suffer from persistently high costs, particularly for food and essential goods.
As these disparities grow, policymakers and economists are likely to face increasing pressure to design region-specific strategies to tackle inflation and reduce the financial strain on households in the most affected areas.
