According to the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)/Cooking Gas Price Watch of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) fell by 6.10% month-on-month from N7,418.45 in May 2024 to N6,966.03 in June 2024. However, it rose by 71.23% year-on-year when compared to N4,068.26 in June 2023. Zonal analysis revealed that the South-West region had the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas at N7,241.67, followed by the North-Central at N7,096.51, with the North-West having the lowest at N6,660.20. At the state level, Osun recorded the highest average price at N7,800.00, followed by Edo at N7,750.00 and Ebonyi at N7,590.79. Conversely, Yobe had the lowest price at N6,062.50, with Jigawa at N6,144.44 and Anambra at N6,338.75. The month-on-month decline in prices can be attributed to the ban by the federal government on the export of cooking gas which has increased the volume available in the domestic market. However, the year-on-year increase reflects low production to meet high domestic and foreign demands, and inflationary pressures which arise from multiple factors including high transportation costs, and currency depreciation

According to the Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)/Cooking Gas Price Watch of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) fell by 6.10% month-on-month from N7,418.45 in May 2024 to N6,966.03 in June 2024. However, it rose by 71.23% year-on-year when compared to N4,068.26 in June 2023. Zonal analysis revealed that the South-West region had the highest average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of cooking gas at N7,241.67, followed by the North-Central at N7,096.51, with the North-West having the lowest at N6,660.20. At the state level, Osun recorded the highest average price at N7,800.00, followed by Edo at N7,750.00 and Ebonyi at N7,590.79. Conversely, Yobe had the lowest price at N6,062.50, with Jigawa at N6,144.44 and Anambra at N6,338.75. The month-on-month decline in prices can be attributed to the ban by the federal government on the export of cooking gas which has increased the volume available in the domestic market

In July 2024, the inflation rate (CPI) dropped to 33.40%, down from 34.19% in June 2024, marking a 0.8 percentage point decrease from the previous month. This decline also extended to food inflation, which fell to 39.53% from 40.87% recorded in June, indicating a 1.34 percentage point reduction. Urban inflation also saw a decrease, dropping to 35.77%, while rural inflation fell to 31.26%, representing month-on-month decreases of 0.87 and 1.83 percentage points, respectively. These trends highlight a broad-based easing of the inflationary pressures across the country’s different sectors and regions, providing a glimmer of relief after an extended period of rising prices.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) decided during its 296th meeting to raise the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 26.75%. This represents a 50 basis points increase from 26.25% in May 2024. This increment in MPR reflects the central bank's attempts to control inflation and stabilise the exchange rate through monetary tightening measures. With this new decision, the CBN has increased the MPR by 800 basis points since January 2024. In January, before the hike, the rate was 18.75%. The committee also resolved to keep the liquidity ratio at 30% and the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for merchant and deposit money banks at 14% and 45%, respectively. Despite these steps to control inflation, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for June 2024 increased to 34.19% indicating that Nigeria's pricing levels are interest insensitive. This suggests that supply-side factors such as insecurity, high cost of energy, and currency depreciation are more responsible for Nigeria's rising inflation rates. Therefore, the CBN, in collaboration with the fiscal side of the government, should prioritise fixing these underlying structural challenges as the MPR has not effectively controlled inflation. Continuous increments in the MPR could have a detrimental effect on the economy through high borrowing costs

Youth unemployment in Africa is becoming increasingly worrisome. The International Labour Organisation (2023) estimates that over 72 million young people in Africa do not attend school, work, or receive any type of employment training. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 8 of providing decent work for all by 2030, African countries must develop measures to address youth unemployment and gender inequality. Many young people struggle with lack of decent jobs, widespread informal employment, therefore limiting their opportunities for economic stability and growth. Africa has the world’s largest youth population , with over 400 million young people between the ages of 15 and 35. This presents significant prospects to drive economic growth, create jobs, and increase productivity.