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Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Dropped To 22.22% In June -NBS
The headline inflation for June 2025 moderated to 22.22 per cent relative to the May 2025 headline inflation rate of 22.97 per cent, report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown
According to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the Bureau, the year-on-year figure reflects a 0.75 percentage point decline from the previous month and a significant 11.97 percentage point drop when compared to June 2024, which recorded an inflation rate of 34.19 per cent.
The decline in annual inflation is being recorded against the backdrop of a rebased index, with 2024 as the new base year.
On a month-on-month basis, however, inflation rose slightly to 1.68 per cent in June, compared to 1.53 per cent in May, suggesting that while the pace of price increases is slowing on an annual basis, prices are still rising faster from one month to the next.
The CPI rose from 121.4 in May to 123.4 in June, indicating persistent price pressures, especially in food, transport, and housing.
The NBS report read, “The Consumer Price Index rose to 123.4 in June 2025, reflecting a 2.0-point increase from the preceding month (121.4). In June 2025, the Headline inflation rate eased to 22.22 per cent relative to the May 2025 headline inflation rate of 22.97 per cent. Looking at the movement, the June 2025 Headline inflation rate showed a decrease of 0.75 per cent compared to the May 2025 Headline inflation rate.
“On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 11.97 per cent lower than the rate recorded in June 2024 (34.19 per cent). This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in June 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., June 2024), though with a different base year, November 2009 = 100.”
The food inflation rate stood at 21.97 per cent year-on-year in June, a sharp drop from 40.87 per cent recorded in June 2024.
This significant fall is attributed largely to the base year effect. On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose to 3.25 per cent in June, up from 2.19 per cent in May, driven by price increases in staples such as tomatoes, pepper, dried green peas, crayfish, shrimps, meat, plantain flour, and ground pepper.
The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve-month period ending June 2025 stood at 28.28 per cent, down by 7.02 percentage points from the 35.3 per cent recorded over a similar period last year.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as agricultural produce and energy, declined year-on-year to 22.76 per cent in June 2025 from 27.4 per cent in June 2024.
On a month-on-month basis, however, core inflation increased to 2.46 per cent, up from 1.10 per cent in May, reflecting renewed pressures in non-food components.
The average twelve-month inflation rate for core items stood at 24.14 per cent in June 2025, slightly higher than the 24.01 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
The report showed a divergence in inflation trends between urban and rural areas.
Urban inflation dropped to 22.72 per cent year-on-year in June from 36.55 per cent in June 2024, while rising to 2.11 per cent month-on-month, from 1.40 per cent in May.
The twelve-month average for urban inflation also declined to 28.16 per cent.
Rural inflation followed a similar pattern, easing to 20.85 per cent year-on-year from 32.09 per cent, but slowing month-on-month to 0.63 per cent in June, from 1.83 per cent in May. The average annual rural inflation rate stood at 24.65 per cent.
In terms of state-level data, Borno recorded the highest year-on-year all-items inflation rate at 31.63 per cent, followed by Abuja at 26.79 per cent and Benue at 25.91 per cent.
The slowest increases were recorded in Zamfara at 9.90 per cent, Yobe at 13.51 per cent, and Sokoto at 15.78 per cent.
On a month-on-month basis, the sharpest increases were in Ekiti at 5.39 per cent, Delta at 5.15 per cent, and Lagos at 5.13 per cent, while Zamfara, Niger, and Plateau recorded declines of 6.89, 5.35, and 4.01 per cent, respectively.
Food inflation was most severe in Borno at 47.40 per cent year-on-year, followed by Ebonyi at 30.62 per cent and Bayelsa at 28.64 per cent.
Katsina, Adamawa, and Sokoto recorded the slowest food inflation at 6.21, 10.90, and 15.25 per cent, respectively.
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose fastest in Enugu at 11.90 per cent, Kwara at 9.97 per cent, and Rivers at 9.88 per cent, while Borno, Sokoto, and Bayelsa recorded declines of 7.63, 6.43, and 6.34 per cent, respectively.
The divisions contributing most significantly to the headline index were food and non-alcoholic beverages, restaurants and accommodation services, transport, housing, electricity, gas and other fuels, education, health, and clothing and footwear.
While the easing of inflation on a yearly basis may reflect improved stability in macroeconomic indicators, the rising monthly rates suggest that Nigerian households continue to face considerable cost-of-living pressures.
Testing
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has demanded quick and full resolution to the challenges arising from the gas leakage that occurred in Bille, Degema Local Government Area of the State.
The governor has also pledged to upgrade the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bille with a view to addressing the health challenges confronting the community.
Fubara made the pledge on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt during an enlarged meeting of key stakeholders, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, the state government and leaders of the community.
The meeting was held to review the situation in the community and explore available opportunities to save the people from the adverse impacts of environmental pollution.
Addressing the journalists at the end of the meeting, the governor acknowledged the determination of the Federal Government and its agencies to get to the root cause of the problem in Bille and ensure that it is resolved permanently.
“The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. You’re aware that there is a case of gas leakage somewhere in Bille and the people have been making some requests that the government should come to their rescue to resolve the situation.
“As a state, we have gone to see the situation in the community, not alone but in conjunction with the industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are doing today is an enlarged meeting where all the parties are sitting together to look at the cause of the issue and the most possible way to get the problem resolved,” he said.
Fubara described the outcome of the meeting as successful, stressing that more action would be taken in the next couple of weeks to ensure that the issue is fully resolved.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the meeting, expressed appreciation to the governor for his warm hospitality and efforts to address the challenge in Bille community.
Ekpo explained that contrary to the perception in certain quarters, the Federal Government has not been silent over the “gas seepage” but has been working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
The minister explained that as soon as the incident was reported, the Federal Government deployed experts to the area to understudy the cause of the problem.
According to him, it was difficult at first to understand the cause of the problem since there were no oil or gas infrastructure within the vicinity of the incident, hence the need to conduct a more detailed investigation.
“The investigation is still going but we decided to do a follow-up visit to the area to talk to the people of Bille Community that we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We can understand their anxiety, the worry and the danger that this thing poses within the area, but the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem. The primary responsibility of government is to take care of the welfare and security of the people and that is exactly why we are here to go and see things for ourselves,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, also explained that as the regulatory agency at the centre of the issue, no effort will be spared in the task of resolving the issue.
Eyesan pledged that the NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of the impacted people in terms of the provision of potable water and fire trucks to the community.
The Public Relations Officer, Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, Chief Rena Dappa, had during the meeting, presented the challenges facing the community and pleaded for government’s support to save the lives and livelihoods of the people.
President Bola Tinubu has announced the launch of a training programme for 5,000 young Nigerians as meter installers and technicians under the Presidential Metering Initiative.
The President stated that the scheme is aimed at creating jobs, closing the country’s metering gap and improving electricity supply.
The President disclosed this in a statement on his verified X handle yesterday, describing the initiative, tagged “The Power Force,” as part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand employment opportunities for young people.
According to Tinubu, the programme will equip participants with practical technical skills and connect them to employment opportunities in Nigeria’s power sector.
“Through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), which I established to close Nigeria’s metering gap, end estimated billing, protect consumers and strengthen the electricity market, we are opening a new pathway for 5,000 young Nigerians to be trained as meter installers and technicians under The Power Force. This programme is about jobs, skills and dignity,” he said.
Tinubu said the training would be open to eligible Nigerians who have completed their secondary school education, with a dedicated quota reserved for members of the National Youth Service Corps.
He noted that expanding electricity metering was critical to improving service delivery and promoting transparency in the power sector.
“When homes and businesses are properly metered, Nigerians can pay for what they actually use. When electricity distribution companies collect revenues more transparently and fairly, they are better able to reduce losses, maintain infrastructure, expand connections and invest in better service.
“This is how we build a power sector that is fairer to consumers, stronger for investors and better able to deliver reliable electricity to the Nigerian people,” the President said.
Tinubu said he had directed the Presidential Metering Initiative to work with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, and other relevant stakeholders to commence the programme within the next 30 days.
He encouraged qualified young Nigerians to apply, saying the initiative would provide them with marketable skills while supporting efforts to eliminate estimated billing and improve electricity access nationwide.
“I encourage eligible young Nigerians to apply. Join The Power Force. Learn a skill. Earn with dignity. Help us end estimated billing and be part of the work to light up Nigeria,” he added.