The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, said headline inflation dropped to 17.01 per cent in August. This represents a 0.37 percentage points decline when compared to 17.38 per cent recorded in July.

The bureau said:”The CPI which measures inflation increased by 17.01 percent (YoY) in August 2021. This is 0.37 percent points lower than the rate recorded in July 2021 (17.38) per cent. Increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index.

“The urban inflation rate increased by 17.59 percent (YoY) in August 2021 from 18.01 percent recorded in July 2021, while the rural inflation rate increased by 16.43 percent in August 2021 from 16.75 percent in July 2021.

“On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the urban index rose by 1.06 percent in August 2021, up by 0.08 the rate recorded in July 2021 (0.98), while the rural index also rose by 0.99 percent in August 2021, up by 0.12 the rate that was recorded in July 2021 (0.87) percent.”

On food index it stated:”The composite food index rose by 20.30 percent in August 2021 compared to 21.03 percent in July 2021.

“This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, milk, cheese and egg, oils and fats, potatoes, yam and another tuber, food product n.e.c, meat and coffee, tea and cocoa.

“On MoM basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.06 per cent in August 2021, up by 0.20 per cent points from 0.86 per cent recorded in July 2021.

“In August 2021, food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Kogi (29 per cent), Oyo (24 per cent) and  Gombe (22.4 per cent), while River (18 per cent), Edo (17.26 per cent) and Bauchi (17.24 per cent) recorded the slowest rise in YoY food inflation.

“On MoM basis, however, August 2021 food inflation was highest in Ekiti (2.7 per cent), Abuja (2.6 per cent) and Akwa Ibom (2.5 per cent), while Lagos (0.04 per cent) and Edo (0.08 per cent) recorded the slowest rise with Kaduna recording price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the general price level of food or a  negative food inflation rate).”