The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday retained its benchmark interest rate known as the Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.5 percent, following the rebased consumer price index (CPI).
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday rebased the CPI CPI reading, which revealed a sharp reduction in Nigeria’s headline inflation rate to 24.5 percent y/y in January 2025 (post-rebasing) compared with the pre-rebasing reading of 34.8 percent y/y in December 2024.
Most analysts expected a hold, citing CPI rebasing and to allow the previous hikes in interest rates to reflect on the economy.
Hope Moses-Ashike
Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks.
She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings.
Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.
