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

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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)

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DAILY ASSET Appoints Torough, Editor, Names Eze, Deputy

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By Laide Akinboade, Abuja 

As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.

A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.

“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.

In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.

“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.

Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.

“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.

He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.

Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.

A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor.  He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment. 

Torough  has  attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.

The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.

Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and  DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent  covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.

Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.

Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.

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Insecurity: Northern Govs, Monarchs Seek Six-month Mining Suspension

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From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano

Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.

The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils.
The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.

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Abacha Loot Probe: Malami Faces EFCC Panel Daily in December

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Abubakar Chika Malami SAN Attorney General
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By David Torough, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,  Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.

A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.
The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.
The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.

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