Connect with us

COVER

Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Hits 24.08% in July – NBS

Published

on

Share

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 24.08 per cent in July 2023.

The NBS disclosed this in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation Report for July , which was released in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to the report, the figure is 1.

29 per cent points higher compared to the 22.
79 per cent recorded in June.

It said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate in July was 4.

44 per cent higher than the rate recorded in July 2022 at 19.64 per cent.

It added:”This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in July 2023 when compared to the same period in July 2022.

The report said that the contributions of items on the divisional level to the increase in the headline index were food and non-alcoholic beverages at 12.47 per cent and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel at 4.03 per cent.

Others were; clothing and footwear at 1.84 per cent; transport at 1.57 per cent; furnishings, household equipment and maintenance at 1.21 per cent and education at 0.97 per cent, and health at 0.72 per cent.

The report said: “Miscellaneous goods and services at 0.40 per cent; restaurant and hotels at 0.29 per cent; alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola nut at 0.26 per cent; recreation and culture at 0.17 per cent, and communication at 0.16 per cent.”

In addition, the report said , on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in July 2023 was 2.89 per cent, which was 0.76 per cent higher than the rate recorded in June 2023 at 2.13 per cent.

It added: ” This means that in July 2023, on average, the general price level was 0.76 per cent higher relative to June 2023.”

It said the percentage change in the average CPI for the 12 months ending July 2023 over the average of the CPI for the previous 12 months period was 21.92 per cent.

The report added: “This indicates a 5.17 per cent increase compared to 16.75 per cent recorded in July 2022.”

It said that the food inflation rate in July was 26.98 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 4.97 per cent higher compared to the rate recorded in July 2022 at 22. 02 per cent.

The report continued: “The rise in food inflation is caused by increases in prices of oil and fats, bread and cereals, fish, potatoes, yams and other tubers, fruits, meat, vegetable, milk, cheese and eggs. ”

It said on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in July was 3.45 per cent, which was a 1.06 per cent rise compared to the rate recorded in June at 2.40 per cent.

“The rise in food inflation on a month-on-month basis was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, oil, and fat,” the report said further.

It said: “The all items less farm produce or core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 20.47 per cent in July on a year-on-year basis.

“This increased by 4.41 per cent compared to 16.06 per cent recorded in July 2022.’’

The report said the highest increases were recorded in prices of passenger transport by air and road, gas, vehicles spare parts, medical services, maintenance, and repair of personal transport, among others.

The NBS said on a month-on-month basis, the core inflation rate was 2.11 per cent in July 2023.

It added: “This indicates a 0.34 per cent rise compared to what was recorded in June 2023 at 1.77 per cent.

“The average 12-month annual inflation rate was 18.84 per cent for the 12 months ending July 2023.

“This was 4.31 per cent points higher than the 14.53 per cent recorded in July 2022.”

The report said on a year-on-year basis in July, the urban inflation rate was 25.83 per cent, which was 5.74 per cent higher compared to the 20.09 per cent recorded in July 2022.

It said: “On a month-on-month basis, the urban inflation rate was 3.05 per cent in July representing a 0.75 per cent rise compared to June 2023 at 2.31 per cent.’’

The report said on a year-on-year basis in July, the rural inflation rate was 22.49 per cent, which was 3.26 per cent higher compared to the 19.22 per cent recorded in July 2022.

It added: “On a month-on-month basis, the rural inflation rate in July was 2.74 per cent, which increased by 0.78 per cent compared to June 2023 at 1.96 per cent.’’

On states’ profile analysis, the report showed in July, all items inflation rate on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi at 28.45 per cent, followed by Lagos at 27.30 per cent, and Ondo at 26.83 per cent.

It, however, said the slowest rise in headline inflation on a year-on-year basis was recorded in Borno at 20.71 per cent, followed by Jigawa at 20.85 per cent, and Sokoto at 20.92 per cent.

The report, however, said in July 2023, all items inflation rate on a month-on-month basis was highest in Kogi at 4.99 per cent, Abia at 4.12 per cent, and Akwa Ibom at 4.07 per cent.

It added: “Jigawa at 0.16 per cent, followed by Taraba at 1.09 per cent and Yobe at 1.10 per cent recorded the slowest rise in month-on-month inflation.”

The report said food inflation in June, on a year-on-year basis, was highest in Kogi at 34.53 per cent, followed by Lagos at 32.52 per cent, and Bayelsa at 31.31 per cent.

It added: “Jigawa at 20.90 per cent, followed by Sokoto at 21.63 per cent and Kebbi at 22.45 per cent recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis.’’

The report, however, said on a month-on-month basis, in July, food inflation was highest in Kogi at 6.73 per cent, followed by Akwa Ibom at 5.64 per cent and Bayelsa at 4.59 per cent.

It said: “With Taraba at -0.21per cent, followed by Jigawa at 0.28 per cent and Yobe at 0.90 per cent recorded the slowest rise on month-on-month food inflation.’’ (NAN)

COVER

Another Blackout as National Grid Collapses Second Time in Two Days

Published

on

Share

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

As Nigerians await full power restoration, the national grid has collapsed once again.The national grid collapsed on Tuesday, marking the 10th such incident since January 2024.It was confirmed that, as of 11 am on Thursday, the 22 power plants were only able to generate 2,323 megawatts of electricity, with generation dropping to 0.

00MW.
The peak generation for the day was 3,743MW as of 10 am.
The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company reported a power outage at 11:29 am.“Dear Esteemed Customer, please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, 7 November 2024, at 11:29 hrs, affecting supply within our network.“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders.
Kindly bear with us,” IKEDC said.The Transmission Company of Nigeria has yet to provide an update on the incident at the time of this report which marks the 11th of such occurrences in 2024.The country recorded more than 93 cases of grid collapse during the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023.This persistent grid collapse has led to frequent blackouts, impacting businesses and daily life across the country.Nigeria had, in the past decade, secured about 10 loans totaling about $4.36bn from the World Bank to address challenges in the sector but there has not been any significant improvement even with additional funds from multilateral and donor agencies.This has heightened speculations that a sizable chunk of the loans may not have been disbursed for the purposes for which they were obtained.The frequent fluctuations in power supply have continued to take a toll on industrial and domestic consumers leaving frustration and low productivity in the aftermath.The Bola Tinubu administration has continued to seek additional World Bank loans, securing $1.901 billion in new funds since he assumed office in June 2023.The administration has also been making frantic efforts to expand the nation’s energy options through renewable energy projects.The government has also initiated massive solar energy extension, especially to rural communities across the country to bridge the gaping power gaps.With a population estimated to be more than 200 million, Nigeria has not been able to exceed 5000 Megawatts at any period in the past 10 years despite assurances by successive administrations.More disturbing to Nigerians is the astronomical increase in electricity tariffs across the board, peaking above 400 percent with the last hike that was affected earlier in the year.

Continue Reading

COVER

FG Defends CNG Vehicle Safety Amid Malaysia’s Phase-out plan

Published

on

Share

By David Torough, Abuja

The Presidency has sought to allay concerns regarding the safety of Compressed Natural Gas-powered vehicles, recently introduced in Nigeria as an alternative to petrol-powered cars.The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed these fears in a post on X on Thursday while responding to reports on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles by 2025.

The Malaysian government announced plans to phase out CNG vehicles and end the sale of natural gas vehicles by July 2025.
According to local media sources, Malaysia’s Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, made this announcement at a press conference on Monday.
He explained that the decision was intended to protect road users and the public from the potential hazards posed by ageing CNG tanks.Loke was quoted as saying, “These NGV tanks have a safe usage lifespan of approximately 15 years, and if they are not replaced, they become unsafe to use and may fail at any time.” From July 1, 2025, CNG-powered vehicles will no longer be registered or allowed to operate in Malaysia.However, Onanuga clarified that Malaysia’s policy was focused on the safety of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), not CNG.He added that Nigeria chose CNG specifically for its safety and cost-effectiveness, with plans underway to develop domestic tank manufacturing capacity.Onanuga wrote, “Some clarification on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles:“The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, not CNG. In the original report, Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated, ‘There are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.’“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG only, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.”Onanuga further noted, “Malaysia’s programme for CNG-powered vehicles struggled, achieving only a 0.2% conversion rate over 15 years. By contrast, nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt have seen considerable success.”He added that Malaysia faced difficulties in replacing 15-year-old tanks due to limited manufacturing capacity, while Nigeria, in its first year of adopting CNG, is already addressing this.Malaysia introduced CNG for taxis and airport limousines in the late 1990s, while Nigeria began its own CNG initiative in 2024 as an alternative transportation fuel.

Continue Reading

COVER

Zenith Bank Upgrades Infrastructure, Assures of Exceptional Service

Published

on

Share

By David Torough, Abuja

Zenith Bank Plc has assured its teeming customers of exceptional service delivery and improved customer experience following the successful completion of its Information Technology Infrastructure Upgrade.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of the bank, Dr.

Adaora Umeoji in a statement expressed her immense gratitude to all customers of the bank for their patience and support during its recent IT infrastructure migration to a new and more robust operating system.

Umeoji emphasized that the bank was committed to delivering unparalleled service experience, saying “We undertook such an extensive endeavor in other to better position Zenith Bank Plc for improved service delivery to all our valued customers and provide memorable banking experiences at all our touchpoints,” adding that the bank now has one of the best technology infrastructure in the Nigerian banking industry, and is well positioned to ensure customers experience exceptional service delivery going forward.

Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offering, unique customer experience and sound financial indices.

The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

The bank’s track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards including being recognised as the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 15th consecutive year in the 2024 Top 1000 World Banks Ranking, published by The Banker Magazine. The Bank was also awarded the Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards for 2020 and 2022; and Most Sustainable Bank, Nigeria 2023 and 2024 in the International Banker Banking Awards.

Further recognitions include being recognised as Best Bank in Nigeria for the fourth time in five years, from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024, in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024 in the World Finance Banking Awards. Additionally, Zenith Bank has been acknowledged as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria, in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards for three consecutive years, from 2022 to 2024, ‘Best in Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023 by the Ethical Boardroom.

The Bank’s commitment to excellence saw it being named the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands for 2020 and 2021; Bank of the Year for 2023 and 2024, and Retail Bank of the Year for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and in 2024 at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. The Bank also received the accolades of Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best

Innovation in Retail Banking, Nigeria, in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards, Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020, Bank of the Year 2021 by Champion Newspaper, Bank of the Year 2022 by New Telegraph Newspaper, and Most Responsible Organisation in Africa 2021 by SERAS Awards.

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

NEWS3 hours ago

Explosion: Jigawa Distributes Relief Materials to 210 Affected Families

Share The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency (JISEMA) has distributed relief materials to the affected families of Majia tanker explosion,...

Education3 hours ago

Veritas University Graduates 795 in 13th Convocation Ceremony

Share The Veritas University, Abuja, on Saturday, graduated a total of 795 students in various disciplines from six facilities during...

NEWS3 hours ago

Abortion Allegation Against Military: CDS Hails Outcome of Investigation

ShareThe Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has hailed the outcome of investigation on the allegation of forced abortion...

NEWS3 hours ago

NAPTIP Rescues 8-year-old Boy, Reunites with Parents in A’Ibom

ShareThe National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has rescued an eight-year-old boy, Divine Ibanga, declared missing...

NEWS3 hours ago

Tinubu Reappoints Prof. Mustapha as NBRDA D-G

Share President Bola Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha as the Director General, National Biotechnology Research and...

NEWS3 hours ago

Ogun NSCDC Deploys 3,150 Personnel for LG Polls

Share The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps ( NSCDC), Ogun Command, says it has earmarked 3, 150 personnel for...

NEWS5 hours ago

Groups Want Taraba Govt. to Sign Reviewed Action Plan 2024-2026

Share Groups have  appealed to Gov. Agbu Kefas of Taraba to accelerate the signing of the reviewed State Action Plan...

NEWS5 hours ago

Police Seeks Anambra Communities’ Collaboration to End Sit-at-home 

ShareThe Police Command in Anambra has sought the collaboration of communities in the state in its efforts to end Monday...

NEWS5 hours ago

China Upgrades Cooperation with Africa–Official

Share  China says it has upgraded the China-Africa Economic and Trade Forum and China-Africa Cultural Cooperation and Exchange Month to the...

Foreign News6 hours ago

Stranded Students in Cyprus: CSO Gives Zamfara Govt. 5-day Ultimatum 

Share A Zamfara-based CSO, ‘Zamfara Circle Community Initiative’, has lamented the situation of the stranded Zamfara students in Cyprus and...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc