Inflation rate rose year on year to 11.85% in the month of November 2019 the highest rise since April 2018 according to a recent release from the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to the bureau, increases were recorded in all subsets of the consumer price indexes as the effects of the border closure continue to eat deep into the economy.
A closely watched component of the inflation index rose by 14.48% in the month under review compared to 14.09% in October 2019. This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Bread, Cereals, Oils and fats, Meat, Potatoes, yam and other tubers, and Fish.
Food inflation rose by 1.25 percent in November 2019, down by 0.08 percent points from 1.33 percent recorded in October 2019.
The “All items less farm produce” or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce also rose 8.99% in November 2019, up by 0.11% when compared with 8.88 percent recorded in October 2019. On month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 0.79 percent in November 2019.
Inflation
for the month of November was also driven by increases in prices of Cleaning,
Repair and hire of clothing, hospital services, hairdressing saloons, and
personal grooming establishment, Glassware, tableware, and household utensils,
vehicle spare parts, Repair and hire of footwear, Shoes and other footwear,
Clothing materials, other articles of clothing and clothing accessories,
Medical services and Passenger transport by air.
As
Nigerians continue to grapple with the effects of the border closure, the
fast-approaching Christmas holiday is also piling pressure on the prices of
essential goods and services. Nigerians typically spend the most towards the
end of the year particularly on household items such as food, fashion and gift
items.
