Rising costs for food and transport are adding stress for many Nigerians.

Beef, tomatoes, beans, garri, yam, and other food items all saw price increases in August, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its Food Price Watch report, which was released yesterday.

According to the report, the average cost of a kilogramme of boneless beef rose from N2,141.18 in August 2022 to N2,799.51 a year later, as reported by The Guardian.

It was also noted that the average price of 1 kilogramme of locally produced rice rose by 62.68 percent between August 2022 and 2023, going from N454.10 to N738.74.

From July 2023 to August 2023, the price of a kilogramme of locally grown rice rose to N653.49.

According to the report, the cost of brown beans increased by 27 percent between August 2022 and 2023, from N545.61 per kilogramme to N692.95 per kilogramme.

According to the report, the average cost of a kilogramme of yam tuber rose from N403.65 in August 2022 to N576.39 a year later.

The NBS reported that between August 2022 and 2023, the average price of garri rose from N305.92 to N456.32. This represented an annual increase of 49.16 percent. The monthly price change, from N429.89 in July to N456.32 in August 2023, is an increase of 6.15 percent.

According to the report’s state profile analysis, the average price of 1 kilogramme of boneless beef is highest in Anambra at N3,790.02, and lowest in Kogi at N1,835.71.

According to the report, the average cost of a kilogramme of locally produced rice was N903.26 in Ondo and N529.72 in Benue.

According to the NBS, the average price of 1 kilogramme of brown beans is highest in the state of Imo at N1,087.14, and lowest in the state of Kogi at N480.34.

According to the data, the state of Akwa Ibom had the highest average price of N1,030.71 per kilogramme of yam tuber, while the state of Adamawa had the lowest at N328.71.

In order to improve people’s quality of life, Olufemi Ajadi, Managing Director of Bullion Go-Neat Global Limited, has called on the federal government to reduce inflation. Ajadi made the suggestion in a statement he delivered to the federal government on the occasion of an anniversary commemorating independence.

He saw that the high cost of living was being exacerbated by inflationary pressures in the economy, as well as by the high cost of foreign exchange, multiple taxation, and poor infrastructure.

He argued that the government’s response to the aforementioned difficulties would be the most fitting way to celebrate independence.

On this, the 63rd anniversary of our nation’s independence, I once again urge the government to take the necessary steps to boost our economy.

Even though this time of year marks the anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, citizens in all of the country’s zones and states are left to moan and complain instead of celebrating. When the economy has been so rough and unemployment so high, can you blame them?

Ajadi argued that the people could not afford to celebrate the anniversary while they were hungry, poor, and fighting crime such as banditry and armed robbery.

Meanwhile, NBS data on road traffic crashes revealed that in the nine months ending in Q1, 2023, the North-Central region of the country had the highest number of crashes, casualties. Third and fourth quarter NBS data for 2022 and first quarter 2023 were used.

The National Bureau of Statistics reports that there were 3,617 traffic accidents during the fourth quarter of 2022, up 6.01 percent from the previous quarter’s 3,412 and up 6.16 percent from Q4 2021’s 3,407.

In Q4 2022, there were 2,411 serious crash cases, 895 fatalities, and 311 non-serious crashes. While the number of minor cases decreased by 12.39%, the number of fatal and serious cases both increased by 24.31% from the previous quarter.

North Central has the highest number of crashes and fatalities for all of 2022 and 2023 combined.

The average fare paid by commuters for bus trips within the city per drop rose from N1, 336.29 in July to N1, 336.38 in August 2023, according to data from NBS Transport Fare Watch.

From August 2022’s N602.48 it increased by 121.81 percent, year over year. The average intercity bus fare paid by commuters in August 2023 was N5, 918.18, down 0.02 percent month-over-month from the previous month’s average of N5, 919.49.

Third quarter road transport data also shows that 3,412 traffic accidents occurred in 2022, an increase of 3.96 percent from the previous quarter’s 3,282 and an increase of 8.87 percent from the 3,134 accidents recorded in 2021.

In Q3 2022, fatalities accounted for 720 accidents, while minor accidents accounted for 355, and serious accidents accounted for 2,337. In addition, there was an increase of 11.02 percent in serious cases and 0.28 percent in minor cases compared to the previous quarter, while there was a decrease of 12.52 percent in fatal cases.

The total number of road traffic accidents dropped to 2,733 in the first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 24.44 percent from the previous quarter’s 3,617 and a decrease of 18.30 percent from Q1 2022’s 3,345.

In the first quarter of 2023, there were 1,801 serious cases of crashes compared to 677 fatalities and 255 minor cases. Additionally, the reviewed quarter saw a decrease in all three case types when compared to the previous quarter.

Compared to August 2022, when the fare was N3, 779.96, August 2023’s fare on Transport Fare Watch is a whopping 56.57 percent higher. An increase of 0.30 percent from N78, 775.74 in July 2023 to N79, 011.38 in August 2023 can be seen in the average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes on a single journey. The price increased from N65,041.89 in August 2022, a 21.48 percent increase.

In August 2023, passengers paid an average of N646.12, which was identical to the average fare from July 2023. The price increased by 46.91 percent annually compared to August 2022 (N439.80).

According to the state profile analysis, Abuja has the highest intercity bus fare (state route charged per person fare) at N8, 525.36, followed closely by Anambra at N8, 050.97. Kwara had the lowest fare, at N3, 520.00, and Zamfara had the next-lowest, at N3, 750.07. In August 2023, the states of Bauchi and Jigawa had the highest bus rides within the city (per drop constant route), at N1, 700.08 and N1, 620.00, respectively. Adamawa state came in last with the lowest total at N850.02, followed by Osun at N1,100.08.

According to the NBS report, out of the total 1,608 people killed in traffic accidents in Q4 2022, 1,309 were males (or 81.41%), while only 299 (18.59%) were females.

In addition, out of a total of 10,232 injured persons, 7,789 were males, or 76.12%, while 2,443 were females, or 23.8%.

There were 5,407 vehicles involved in traffic accidents in the fourth quarter of 2022, down from 5,421 in the third quarter. This represents a decrease of 0.26 percent.

Furthermore, in Q4 2022, the North-Central region had 1,247 crashes, the South-West region had 862 crashes, and the South-South region had 207 crashes.

There were 1,441 people killed in traffic accidents during the first three months of 2023, with 1,185 (or 82.23%) being male and 256 (17.77%) being female. During that time period, there were a total of 8,339 injuries, with 6,386 (or 76.58%) being sustained by males and 1,953 (23.42%) by females.

There were 4,095 vehicles involved in traffic accidents in the first quarter of 2023, a 24.26 percent decrease from the previous quarter’s figure of 5,407. In the first quarter of 2023, 973 crashes were reported in the North-Central, 678 in the South-West, and 122 in the South-South.