Food Prices: Port Harcourt Residents Breathe Easier as Yenagoa Struggles Under Rising Costs

Food Prices: Port Harcourt Residents Breathe Easier as Yenagoa Struggles Under Rising Costs

Dim Oba writes on Food Prices: Port Harcourt Residents Breathe Easier as Yenagoa Struggles Under Rising Costs

Food prices in Nigeria continue to dominate national discussions, but a new report has highlighted a striking contrast between two neighbouring cities. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Port Harcourt in Rivers State and Yenagoa in Bayelsa State are experiencing sharply different realities in food costs. The data shows that while Rivers recorded one of the lowest food inflation rates in May 2025 at 9.18 percent, Bayelsa State posted one of the highest in the country at 39.85 percent, far above the national average of 21.14 percent.

The figures reveal that food prices in Port Harcourt are rising more slowly compared to Yenagoa, where households are struggling with some of the steepest increases in Nigeria. For residents of Port Harcourt, staples such as garri, yam, and rice remain expensive, but the pace of inflation has been relatively controlled. “Things are tough, but at least the prices are not jumping every week,” said Chinyere Okoro, a rice seller at Mile 1 Market.

In Yenagoa, the situation is markedly different. Families shopping in markets like Swali are faced with relentless increases in food prices, with items such as fish, tomatoes, and beans surging unpredictably. “We can no longer plan properly. What we buy today, by next week the price has changed again,” lamented Mercy Ebi, a mother of three.

Analysts suggest that part of the disparity is linked to geography and logistics. Rivers State, with Port Harcourt as a commercial hub, enjoys stronger supply flows and easier access to goods, while Bayelsa’s riverine terrain makes transportation more costly and distribution slower, driving up food prices. The gap illustrates how inflation impacts Nigerians unevenly depending on where they live.

As Nigeria battles persistent inflation and currency pressures, the latest NBS data highlights a growing economic divide. The reality of food prices in Port Harcourt offers a measure of relief compared to Yenagoa, where rising costs continue to weigh heavily on families.

For many in Bayelsa, the struggle at the market stall is becoming the sharpest reminder of the country’s inflation crisis.

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