Nigeria inflation hits 4-month high

FMCG SUPPLIER NEWS

Fin24 - Dec 18th 2012, 07:35

Abuja - Nigeria's consumer inflation rose to its highest in four months in November as the impact of the country's worst flooding in 50 years pushed up the cost of food, data showed on Monday. 

Headline inflation quickened to 12.3% year-on-year in November, from 11.7% in October and the highest since July, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

Food inflation, the biggest contributor to the consumer index, rose to 11.6% year-on-year in November, from 11.1% in October.

"Higher food prices continue to reflect the impact of recent floods on the production of farm produce, (and the) resulting difficulty of moving food products to markets across the country," the NBS said in a report.

Nigeria's worst flooding in at least half a decade between July and mid-October killed 363 people and displaced 2.1 million, the national emergency agency said.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile agriculture items, jumped to 13.6% year-on-year in November, from 12.4% in October. The central bank closely watches the core index when making interest rate decisions.

"Increases in the core index was as a result of ... higher housing, electricity, gas (prices) ... in particular rent prices, increased liquid fuel prices such as kerosene ... air transportation costs, and clothing prices," the NBS said.

Nigeria's central bank kept interest rates on hold at 12% last month for the seventh time in a row, resisting calls to reduce lending costs because of concerns over inflation.