Our Correspondent | Business
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a marginal decline in the prices of several staple food items in September 2025, signalling a mild easing of food costs across the country.
In its Selected Food Prices Watch for September 2025, released on Tuesday in Abuja, the Bureau said items such as beans, garri (cassava flake), maize and tomatoes saw a reduction in both year-on-year and month-on-month prices.
According to the report, the average price of 1kg of brown beans dropped by 33.70 per cent year-on-year, falling from ₦2,738.59 in September 2024 to ₦1,815.76 in September 2025. Month-on-month, beans prices also declined by 1.74 per cent.
Similarly, the price of 1kg of white garri fell by 25.51 per cent compared with the same period last year, decreasing from ₦1,170.25 to ₦871.78. It also recorded a 6.52 per cent month-on-month drop.
The average price of 1kg of loose white maize decreased by 16.57 per cent year-on-year to ₦888.68, while tomatoes recorded a 10.56 per cent drop, falling to ₦1,279.84.
However, not all food items followed the downward trend. The NBS noted that 1kg of local rice rose by 1.99 per cent year-on-year, while 1kg of boneless beef increased by 21.79 per cent, despite both items experiencing slight decreases on a month-on-month basis.
State/Regional Breakdown
Enugu recorded the highest average price of 1kg of brown beans at ₦2,337.58, while Yobe had the lowest at ₦1,223.42.
For white garri, Ebonyi posted the highest price at ₦1,297.22, with Taraba recording the lowest at ₦450.
In the case of white maize, Imo recorded the highest price at ₦1,488.50, while Yobe again had the lowest at ₦547.84.
Ebonyi also topped the chart for the highest tomato prices (₦2,301.38), while Plateau had the lowest (₦697.69).
Enugu led in local rice prices at ₦2,385.73, whereas Lagos recorded the lowest at ₦1,963.87.
A zonal analysis showed the South-East consistently recording the highest prices across several commodities, while the North-East and North-West zones recorded some of the lowest.
Government Push to Tame Soaring Food Costs
The report comes days after President Bola Tinubu directed a Federal Executive Council (FEC) Committee to intensify efforts to reduce food prices nationwide. The President specifically tasked the committee with ensuring the safe movement of food items through key routes to prevent disruptions and arbitrary price hikes.
An NBS official familiar with the latest dataset said the price drops may reflect “the early impact of government interventions and improving supply flows,” but cautioned that the declines remain “modest and uneven across commodities and regions.”
“We are observing marginal relief in a few staple items, but the broader trend still requires sustained policy support,” the source noted.
Economists say the slight declines are encouraging but warn that inflationary pressures remain elevated, especially with rising costs of protein-rich foods such as beef. Stakeholders, however, doubted the sustainability of the lowering of food prices in the country.
September’s data suggests a slow correction in food prices. Analysts say consistent supply chain stability, improved security along transport corridors, and policy continuity will be crucial in sustaining the trend in the coming months.