Nigerians have been left with no choice but to pay exorbitant amounts for major food items such as beef, rice, beans, white garri, yam, and others as prices increased in April.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed this in a report titled ‘Selected Food Prices Watch (April 2024),’ on Thursday.
According to the report, the average price of 1 kilogram (kg) of local rice stood at N1,399.34 last month – a month-on-month increase of 3.47 percent or N58.6, compared to the N1,340.74 recorded in March.
On a year-on-year basis, NBS reported an increase of 155.93 percent in price from N546.76 recorded in April 2023.
“The average price of 1kg of Garri white, sold loose increased by 134.98% on a year-on-year basis from N362.50 in April of last year (2023) to N851.81 in April 2024,” the bureau said.
“On a month-on-month basis, the average price of this item increased by 13.59% from N749.89 in March 2024.
“The average price of 1kg of Tomato rose by 131.58% on a year-on-year basis from N485.10 in April 2023 to N1,123.41 in April 2024. On a month-on-month basis, it increased by 17.06% from N959.68 in March 2024.
“Furthermore, the average price of 1kg beans brown (sold loose) rose by 125.43% on a year-on-year basis from N615.67 in April 2023 to N1387.90 in April 2024, while there was an increase of 12.44% on a month-on-month basis.”
NBS said the average price of 1kg of Yam tuber increased by 5.76 percent to N1,130.37 in April, compared to the N1,0068.78 recorded the month before.
On a year-to-year basis, 1kg of Yam tubers rose 154.19 percent from N444.69 in April last year to N1,130.37 last month.
PRICES OF RICE, GARRI AND BEANS BY STATE
According to state analysis, the bureau said Niger recorded the highest average price of 1kg local rice at N1,785.47, while the lowest was recorded in Benue at N993.72.