Ogun, Imo, Sokoto, 7 other states with highest inflation in February 2025

• Nigeria’s inflation rate dropped for the second consecutive month to 23.18 per cent in February
• Despite the decline, households and businesses across Nigeria still grapple with persistent inflationary pressures
• TheRadar highlights the 10 states with highest inflation in February 2025

The recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 23.18 per cent in February 2025.

The decline marked a second consecutive monthly decline from the 24.48 per cent recorded in January following the rebasing of the CPI by the NBS.

The February inflation figure indicates a 1.30 per cent decrease from January and an 8.52 percentage points decline compared to the 31.70 per cent recorded in February 2024.

According to the NBS, the food inflation rate was 23.51 per cent in February 2025 on a year-on-year basis, lower than the 37.92 per cent recorded in February 2024.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation was 1.67 per cent.

The NBS report stated that food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the largest driver of inflation, contributing 9.28 per cent to the headline inflation rate on a year-on-year basis.

Households and businesses across Nigeria still grapple with persistent inflationary pressures, which have resulted in the rising cost of goods and services.

The February 2025 inflation rate report highlighted the states where inflation is highest as the cost of living keeps rising, driven by food prices.

TheRadar highlights the 10 states in Nigeria where inflation was highest in February 2025.

10 states where inflation was highest in February 2025

1. Edo

Leading the pack is Edo State with a 33.6 per cent inflation rate to become the state with the highest inflation in February 2025.

On a month-on-month basis, overall inflation rose by 8.9 per cent.

Food inflation in Edo stood at 35.1 per cent in February, indicating that high food prices were the primary driver of rising costs in the state.

Food inflation increased by 10.3 per cent in Edo from the figure recorded in January.

2. Enugu

Enugu occupied the second place on the list of 10 states with the highest inflation in February 2025.

The state recorded an inflation rate of 30.7 per cent and food inflation of 31.6 per cent in the month under review.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation increased by 4.0 per cent, while general inflation increased by 4.6 per cent in the state.

3. Sokoto

Sokoto closely followed Enugu on the top 10 list with an inflation rate of 30.2 per cent.

The state’s inflation was majorly driven by high food prices as food inflation was at 38.3 per cent in the month.

Sokoto also recorded one of the highest month-on-month increases, with food prices rising by 18.8 per cent and overall inflation surging by 12.0 per cent.

4. Imo

Imo State dropped three places from its first position in January on the list of 10 top states with the highest inflation in February.

The state’s inflation rate stood at 30.1 per cent, while food inflation stood at 29.0 per cent in February.

This indicates that while food is a contributor to the high cost of living in the state, other items are also pushing prices up.

Food inflation relatively moderated at 1.1 per cent, while overall inflation rose by 2.1 per cent in the state on a month-on-month basis.

5. Zamfara

Completing the top five states with the highest inflation in February is Zamfara, with an overall inflation rate of 29.3 per cent and a food inflation rate of 28.2 per cent.

Food inflation rose by 3.1 per cent on a monthly basis, while overall inflation rose by 3.3 per cent.

6. Abia

Abia State recorded an inflation rate of 29.2 per cent to be on the list of states with the highest inflation in February.

Food inflation in the state increased by 31.9 per cent on a year-on-year basis, indicating that food inflation is a major driver of rising costs.

On a monthly basis, food prices rose by 2.3 per cent, while overall inflation increased by 1.6 per cent.

7. Gombe

The inflation rate in Gombe State stood at 26.5 per cent and food inflation of 28.5 per cent in February, indicating that food is a major driver of inflation in the state.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation increased by 4.2 per cent, while all items inflation increased by 5.4 per cent.

8. Ogun

Ogun State had an inflation rate of 25.8 per cent and a lower food inflation of 23.0 per cent in February.

The difference between core inflation and food inflation in the state indicates that inflation was driven by other goods and services, whose high prices are contributing more to the high cost of living in the state.

On a monthly basis, food prices increased by 0.2 per cent, while overall inflation stood at 3.8 per cent.

9. Nasarawa

The overall inflation rate in Nasarawa State in February was 25.3 per cent, placing it in the ninth position on the list of 10 states where inflation was highest in February.

Food prices were the major driver of the state’s inflation as it surged by 33.5 per cent annually.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation increased by 15.3 per cent, while all items inflation climbed by 6.9 per cent.

10. Ebonyi

Occupying the 10th place on the list of 10 states where inflation was highest in February is Ebonyi.

The state recorded an annual inflation rate of 25.1 per cent, with food inflation at 28.1 per cent.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose by 0.5 per cent, while the overall inflation decreased by -0.3 per cent.

Bauchi, Sokoto, Jigawa, 7 other states where inflation was highest in December 2024

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Nigeria’s inflation rate increased to 34.80 per cent in December 2024, attributed to heightened demand for goods and services during the festive season.

TheRadar spotlights the 10 states where core and food inflation rates were the highest in the month, including Bauchi, Sokoto, and Jigawa states.