Nigeria’s inflation climbs to 15.69% as food prices rise

Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 15.69 per cent in April 2026 as higher food, transport, hospitality and healthcare costs continued to drive up consumer prices across the country.

The latest Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday showed that headline inflation increased from 15.38 per cent recorded in March 2026.

According to the NBS, the Consumer Price Index rose to 138.3 in April from 135.4 in March, reflecting a 2.9-point increase in the general price level.

Despite the rise in annual inflation, the report indicated that the pace of monthly price increases slowed during the period. Month-on-month inflation eased to 2.13 per cent in April from 4.18 per cent recorded in March.

The bureau explained that food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the biggest drivers of inflation, contributing 6.40 percentage points to the headline rate.

Restaurants and accommodation services accounted for 3.56 percentage points, while transport contributed 1.70 percentage points. Healthcare costs added 1.21 percentage points to inflation, followed by housing, electricity, gas and other fuels.

Other sectors contributing to rising prices included education, clothing, personal care, communication and miscellaneous services.

Food inflation also remained elevated, rising to 16.06 per cent year-on-year in April 2026, although monthly food inflation slowed slightly to 3.63 per cent from 4.17 per cent in March.

The NBS attributed the increase in food prices to rising costs of staple items such as millet, yam flour, ginger, beef, garri, pepper, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, plantain and crayfish.

Core inflation, which excludes farm produce and energy prices, stood at 15.86 per cent year-on-year, while monthly core inflation dropped sharply to 1.03 per cent from 4.03 per cent in March.

The report also showed that energy inflation rose by 4.6 per cent annually and eight per cent month-on-month, while services inflation stood at 16.7 per cent year-on-year.

At the state level, Sokoto recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 25.74 per cent, followed by Bauchi and Zamfara. Edo recorded the slowest rise in inflation, followed by Borno and Jigawa.

For food inflation, Enugu posted the highest year-on-year increase, while Borno recorded the slowest rise in food prices.

The NBS noted that inflation figures vary across states due to differences in consumption patterns and household spending.

Meanwhile, the Financial Market Dealers Association had projected inflation to rise to 16.42 per cent in April, but the latest NBS data showed a slightly lower outcome despite persistent pressure from food and energy prices.