In December 2022, Nigerians in the Northern part of the country paid the least costs for staple foods, according to the National Bureau of Statistics’ Selected Food Prices Watch Report.
Highlighted below is a list showing food prices across regions during the period highlighted:
1kg of boneless beef: In the South East region, 1kg of boneless beef costs up to N2,936.49. In the South-South, it costs N2,647.59. In the North West, it costs N2,575.06. Meanwhile, in the South West, it costs N2,159.86. Nigerians in the North Central purchased the same at N2,066.87 and those in the North East bought at N1,989.86.
2kg of packaged wheat flour: In the South East, wheat cost N1,427.10. In the South-South, it cost N1,320.34. In the South West, it cost N1,225.07. In the North West, it cost N1,217.65. In the North Central, it cost N1,062.77 and in the North East, it cost N1,028.78.
1 litre of palm oil: In the South West, a litre of palm oil cost N1,182.74. In the North West, it cost N1,161.44. In the South East, the commodity cost N1,142.67. Meanwhile, in the South-South, it cost N1,118.17. In the North Central region, it cost 792.69 and in the North East, it cost N782.52.
1kg of brown beans: Brown beans cost N793.48 in the South East, and it cost N699.08 in the South-South. In the South West, it cost 628.39. In the North West, it cost 502.73, in the North Central, it cost N498.52 and in the North East, it cost N457.70.
1kg of onions: In the South-South, it cost N692.09. In the South East, it cost N628.01. In the South West, it cost N503.50. In the North West, it cost N359.61 and in the North Central, it cost N280.09, meanwhile, in the North East it cost N222.99.
1kg of local rice: In the South-South, it cost N564.37. In the South West, it cost N528.36. In the South East, it cost N515.77. In the North Central, it was sold for N502.07 and in the North East, it cost N491.51, meanwhile, in the North West, it sold for N447.05.
500g of sliced bread: Nigerians in the South East paid N694.64. Those in the South-South paid N648.51. In the South West, it cost N546.38. In the North West, it cost N514.91. In the North Central, it cost N483.63 and in the North East, it cost N378.28.
1 kg of yam tuber: In the South-South, it cost N578.21. In the South East, it cost N568.85, in the South West, it cost N559.07. In the North West, it cost N430.57 and in the North Central it cost N243.77, meanwhile, in the North East, it cost N225.74.
1kg of tomatoes: In the South-South, tomatoes sold at N773.39. In the South East, it sold for N655.63. In the South West, it cost N528.58. In the North West region, it cost N377.33. Meanwhile, it sold for N270.75 in the North Central and N222.49 in the North East.
1kg of white garri: In the South East, it cost N396.45. In the South-South it cost N340.39. In the North West, it cost N331.48. In North Central, it cost N325.21. In the North East, it cost N308.50 and in the South West, it cost N307.77.
For the record: Looking at the costs, it is evident that the average food prices in the Northern regions were cheaper than those in the Southern regions in December 2022. This is mostly a result of the yuletide season which is more celebrated in the Southern region. Increased demand during the period led to increased prices for end consumers.
The December 2022 consumer price index (CPI) and inflation report from the NBS revealed that food inflation fell to 23.75% in December 2022 from 24.13% recorded in the previous month. Meanwhile, compared to the corresponding period of 2021, the rate increased by 6.38% points from 17.37%.
- According to the NBS, the rise in food inflation was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, and other food Products.
In case you missed it: After a feed survey in December 2022, Nairametrics reported that Nigerians were rationing their spending during this Christmas season due to high consumer costs, including food. In the report, it was stated that a bag of 50kg rice was selling for a minimum of N38,500 and as high as N42,000, meanwhile, the price of chicken, turkey, groundnut oil, onions and other food items were on the high side.
