The National Bureau of Statistics released its Consumer Price Index report for April 2025, revealing a slight easing in Nigeria’s inflation rate compared to previous months and the same period last year.
The headline inflation rate moderated to 23.71 per cent year-on-year, marking a decline from 24.23 per cent recorded in March 2025 and a sharp reduction from 33.69 per cent in April 2024.
On a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate dropped sharply to 1.86 per cent in April 2025, down from 3.90 per cent in March. This indicates a slower rate of price increases across consumer goods and services during the month.
The NBS report read, “The Consumer Price Index rose to 119.52 in April 2025, reflecting a 2.18-point increase from the preceding month. In April 2025, the Headline inflation rate eased to 23.71 per cent relative to the March 2025 headline inflation rate of 24.23 per cent. Looking at the movement, the April 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 0.52 per cent compared to the March 2025 Headline inflation rate.
“On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 9.99 per cent lower than the rate recorded in April 2024 (33.69 per cent). This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in April 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., April 2024), though with a different base year.”
Despite a slight easing in Nigeria’s overall inflation rate in April 2025, 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory recorded inflation rates exceeding 30 per cent, highlighting persistent price pressures in several parts of the country.
According to the latest CPI report released by the NBS, while the national headline inflation rate moderated to 23.71 per cent year-on-year in April, inflation in specific states remained alarmingly high.
Urban inflation, which reflects price changes in cities and towns where the majority of Nigerians reside, remained elevated at 24.29 per cent in April 2025, signalling that many urban households continue to grapple with rising living costs.
The monthly urban inflation rate was 1.18 per cent, a decline from 3.96 per cent in March. Rural inflation was slightly lower at 22.83 per cent year-on-year, down from 31.64 per cent in April 2024.
The month-on-month rural inflation was 3.56 per cent, marginally lower than March’s 3.73 per cent. The KUKURUKU observed that the states that witnessed inflation surpassing 30 per cent include Enugu, Kebbi, Niger, Benue, Ekiti, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Delta, Gombe, and Sokoto, alongside Abuja, the nation’s capital.
These figures highlight a stark contrast with the national average and demonstrate the unevenness of inflationary pressures across the federation. Enugu emerged as the state with the highest headline inflation, recording a year-on-year rate of 36.0 per cent.
This represents a sharp increase compared to previous months and was accompanied by a significant 12.3 per cent month-on-month rise in the all-items inflation index.
Food inflation in Enugu stood at 24.4 per cent in April, with a modest 3.9 per cent month-on-month increase, pointing to continued pressure on food prices amid broader cost-of-living challenges.
Kebbi State also reported persistently high inflation figures, with the all-items inflation rate at 35.1 per cent year-on-year, increasing by 5.4 per cent month-on-month. Food inflation in Kebbi rose to 33.8 per cent in April, up 4.3 per cent compared to the previous month.
