Nigeria’s headline inflation slowed to 15.91 percent in June 2026, its first time in five months signaling monetary authorities may hold key interest rates even as global energy volatility continues to dampen local prices.
This new data aligns with BusinessDay’s forecast where inflation was projected to ease to 15.9 percent.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics, this is a 2 basis point drop from 15.93 percent in May 2026, compared 25.29 percent in the same month of the preceding year (June 2025).
On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in June 2026 was 1.66 percent, which was 0.09 percent lower than the rate recorded in May 2026 (1.75 percent).
Despite a moderation in headline prices, food inflation rate in June 2026 rose 56 basis points to 17.52 percent on a year-on-year basis.
On a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in June 2026 was 3.75 percent, up by 0.77 percentage points from May 2026 (2.98 percent).
Africa’s most populous economy has continued to face renewed inflationary pressures, particularly stemming from the tension between the US and Iran which have pushed global oil prices above $80 per barrel.
For a nation that heavily relies on petroleum products, a surge in oil prices meant domestic pump prices would increase sharply, compounding the headaches of households and businesses reeling from surging prices.
As the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee meets next week, analysts expect a hold stance in rate decisions as authorities wait to have a clearer view of the oil-linked external risks and the effects of the new naira pricing template by the Dangote Refinery.
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