Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.69 per cent in April 2026, up from 15.38 per cent recorded in March, driven largely by increases in food, transport, healthcare, and hospitality costs across the country.
The figure was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in its latest Consumer Price Index report released on Friday.
According to the report, the headline inflation rate rose by 0.31 percentage points month on month, while the Consumer Price Index increased to 138.3 in April from 135.4 in March, reflecting a continued rise in the general price level.
Despite the year on year increase, the report showed a slowdown in monthly inflation growth, with April recording 2.13 per cent compared to 4.18 per cent in March. The bureau explained that while prices continued to rise, the pace of increase had moderated.
Food and non alcoholic beverages remained the highest contributors to inflation, accounting for 6.40 percentage points of the overall rate. Other major contributors included restaurants and accommodation services, transport, healthcare, housing, and utilities.
Food inflation rose to 16.06 per cent year on year, driven by higher prices of staples such as yam, garri, beans, tomatoes, millet, rice substitutes, and other essential food items. On a monthly basis, however, food inflation slowed compared to March.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile agricultural produce and energy prices, stood at 15.86 per cent year on year, indicating persistent underlying price pressures in the economy.
Rural inflation remained higher than urban inflation, reflecting greater pressure on households outside major cities. States such as Sokoto, Bauchi, and Zamfara recorded the highest inflation rates, while Edo, Borno, and Jigawa recorded the slowest increases.
The report also highlighted that services, goods, energy, and farm produce all recorded varying levels of inflation, underscoring widespread price increases across multiple sectors of the economy.
Economists note that while the slowdown in monthly inflation may offer some relief, sustained pressure from food and energy costs continues to weigh heavily on household purchasing power.
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