Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.69% in April 2026, up from 15.38% in March, according to Consumer Price Index data released on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics.
On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate slowed to 2.13% from 4.18% in March. This shows a slower pace of price increase compared to March reflecting a moderation in inflation momentum.
Food inflation accelerated to 16.06% year-on-year for April. The NBS attributed the increase to higher prices for items including millet, yam flour, fresh ginger, beef, garri, yam tuber, fresh pepper, crayfish, cassava, beans, Irish potatoes, fresh tomatoes, loose wheat grain, soybeans, guinea corn, plantain, and fresh carrots.
NBS said urban inflation fell to 15.40% year-on-year, while rural inflation remained higher at 16.36%, reflecting reflecting stonger cost pressures outside cities.
For the 12 months ending April 2026, the average annual food inflation rate eased to 17.55%. That’s down sharply from 34.60% recorded in the comparable period to April 2025, a drop of 17.05 percentage points.
The NBS noted that inflation showed a mixed picture: short-term price pressure eased, but annual rates stayed elevated across most sectors.
