THE National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, increased marginally to 9.4 per cent (year-on-year) in September compared to the 9.3 per cent rise in August.

According to the Bureau, the rise in September rate was as a result of higher prices of food and non-food divisions such as alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola, clothing and footwears, and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel divisions, among others, which contribute to the headline index.

It also attributed the rise to the Muslim holiday period, which it said, might have contributed to higher food prices, saying that the food sub-index as a whole recorded a marginal increase by 10.2 per cent (year-on-year) in September from 10.1 per cent in August.

“Prices rose in major categories such as bread and cereals, meats, fish; and oils and fats groups. The fruits, vegetables and potatoes, yams and other tubers groups have however held constant or grown at a slower pace for three consecutive months, ultimately weighing on the index.

“The advances recorded by the “All Items less Farm Produce” or core sub-index increased at a marginally slower pace in September relative to August. The core sub-index increased by 8.9 per cent in September (year-on-year), from 9.0 per cent in August. The core sub-index was weighted upon by slower increases in multiple groups and or divisions in particular garments, fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment, hotel accommodation services and other services in the communication and miscellaneous goods and services divisions”, the NBS said.

The Bureau also maintained that on a month-on-month basis, the pace of increases of the headline index remained constant for the second consecutive month at 0.6 per cent, the lowest pace recorded this year.