The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said that prices of food items such as yam, rice and beef witnessed increases in January.

This is contained in NBS Selected Food Prices Watch Report for January 2023 released in Abuja on Thursday.

The report said the average price of 1kg beef boneless on a year-on-year basis, increased by 29.72 per cent from N1, 864.70 in January 2022 to N2,418.91 in January 2023 and that one month-on-month basis, 1kg beef boneless increased by 1.75 per cent from N2, 377. 29 recorded in December 2022. 

The report said at the state level, the highest average price of rice (local, sold loose) was recorded in Rivers at N714.99, while the lowest price was recorded in Jigawa at N362.75.

It said Cross River recorded the highest average price of 1kg onion bulb at N1,067.53, while the lowest was reported in Adamawa at N189.05.

Also Ebonyi recorded the highest average price of beans (brown, sold loose) at N912.56, while the lowest was recorded in Kebbi state at N350.99.

Imo recorded the highest price of Palm oil (1 bottle) at N1,315.56 while Kwara recorded the lowest price at N695.65. Akwa Ibom recorded the highest average price of a tuber of yam at N875.44 while Benue recorded the lowest price at N184.44.

Analysis by zone showed that the average price of 1kg beef boneless was higher in the South-East and South-South at N3,002.13 and N2,641.04, respectively. While the lowest price of the item was recorded in the North-East at N2,079.20.

The report said South-South recorded the highest average price of 1kg rice (local, sold loose) at N604.54. This was followed by the South-West at N536.19, while the lowest price was recorded in the North-West at N443.54.