Nigeria’s headline inflation rate moderated slightly to 15.10 percent in January 2026, down from 15.15 percent recorded in December 2025, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday.
The NBS stated that the CPI declined to 127.4 points in January, compared to 131.2 points in December, reflecting a 3.8-point decrease month-on-month.
Food Inflation Also Declines
Food inflation eased to 8.89 percent in January, compared to 10.84 percent in December, suggesting some moderation in food price pressures.
On a month-on-month basis, headline inflation stood at -2.88 percent in January 2026, representing a 3.42 percentage point drop from the 0.54 percent recorded in December 2025.
According to the NBS, this indicates that the pace of price increases slowed in January compared to the previous month.
Disinflation Amid Persistent Cost-of-Living Concerns
While the data points to disinflation — a slowdown in the rate of price increases — many Nigerians continue to express concerns over the high cost of living nationwide.
Inflation had risen to 15.15 percent in December 2025 before easing marginally in January, underscoring the fragile stability of price movements in the economy.
Economic analysts note that sustained moderation in inflation could influence monetary policy decisions, including potential adjustments to interest rates, depending on broader macroeconomic conditions.
