BREAKING: Food inflation hits 51.8% in Benue as insecurity disrupts farming activities 

This represents a sharp rise from 23.3% recorded in March 2025, with food prices also increasing by 25.6% month-on-month.

The all-items inflation rate in Benue was 34.3% in April, up from 20.8% in March, while monthly all-items inflation accelerated by 12.8%.

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report read, “In April 2025, Food inflation on a Year-on-Year basis was highest in Benue (51.76%), Ekiti (34.05%), Kebbi (33.82%), while Ebonyi (7.19%), Adamawa (9.52%), and Ogun (9.91%) recorded the slowest rise in Food inflation on Year-on-Year basis.

Benue, widely known as Nigeria’s “food basket,” produces significant volumes of staple crops such as yams, maize, rice, beans, and soybeans. However, ongoing insecurity in the state has severely disrupted farming activities, causing supply shortages that have driven up food prices dramatically.

Recent reports confirm a sharp escalation of violence in Benue State, with armed attacks and clashes between herders and farming communities intensifying in early 2025.

According to multiple news sources, attacks in local government areas like Guma, Gwer East, and Agatu have left dozens dead and displaced thousands, destroying farmland and livestock in the process.

These developments have forced many farmers to abandon their fields for fear of attacks.

The impact on food production is clear, with insecurity limiting planting and harvesting activities, reducing output, and disrupting supply chains.

This supply contraction, coupled with steady or growing demand, has contributed to the steep rise in food prices.

The monthly food inflation increase of 25.6% in Benue is the highest in Nigeria and significantly above the national food inflation average of 21.26% for April 2025.

This increase will likely deepen food insecurity and strain household budgets, especially among low-income families.

Other states also recorded elevated food inflation, though none matched Benue’s levels. Kebbi posted food inflation of 33.8% year-on-year with a 4.3% month-on-month rise, while Sokoto recorded 25.3% food inflation with a 13.1% monthly increase.

These figures point to regional variations in food price pressures, but Benue’s situation remains particularly acute due to the intensifying violence.

The report noted that the crisis has had a severe impact on Nigeria’s agricultural sector, particularly in the Middle Belt, the nation’s primary food-producing region.

Government and security agencies have vowed to restore peace and protect farming communities. However, sustained efforts are required to stabilize food production and bring down inflation.

Government and security agencies have vowed to restore peace and protect farming communities. However, sustained efforts are required to stabilize food production and bring down inflation.

Supportive interventions such as providing agricultural inputs, improving rural security, and targeted food assistance may help mitigate the crisis.