Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.38 percent in March 2026, up from 15.06 percent recorded in February, signaling sustained pressure on consumer prices.
The increase was disclosed in the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), following the completion of its recent rebasing exercise.
The Statistician-General of the Federation and NBS Chief Executive Officer, Adeyemi Adeniran, confirmed the figures in an official statement.
According to the report, the CPI climbed to 135.40 in March 2026, representing a 5.4-point increase compared to the previous month.
On a year-on-year basis, inflation stood at 15.38 percent in March 2026, slightly higher than the 15.06 percent recorded in February, but significantly lower than the 27.35 percent posted in March 2025.
Month-on-month, the inflation rate rose sharply to 4.18 percent in March, marking a 2.17 percentage point increase from the 2.01 percent recorded in February.
The report identified food and non-alcoholic beverages as the biggest driver of inflation, contributing 5.55 percent.
This was followed by restaurants and accommodation services at 3.26 percent, and transport at 1.80 percent.
In contrast, the least contributors to inflation were recreation, sport and culture at 0.00 percent, as well as alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics, and insurance and financial services, each contributing just 0.02 percent.
The data underscores continued cost pressures in key sectors of the economy, particularly food and services, despite a significant drop in inflation compared to the same period last year.
