Nigeria inflation rises to 15.38% in March despite year-on-year easing
Nigeria's inflation rate rose slightly to 15.38 per cent in March 2026, reversing several months of steady decline. The National Bureau of Statistics reported inflation increased from 15.06 per cent in February, signalling renewed monthly price pressures across the economy. While the annual figure shows significant easing compared to March 2025 (27.35 per cent), month-on-month inflation surged to 4.18 per cent—more than double February's 2.01 per cent. The Consumer Price Index rose sharply to 135.4 in March from 130.0 the previous month.
Core inflation, which excludes farm produce and energy, stood at 16.21 per cent year-on-year and rose by 4.03 per cent monthly, suggesting underlying cost pressures persist. Rural areas face more intense inflation at 17.22 per cent compared to urban areas at 14.64 per cent, with rural monthly inflation hitting 6.73 per cent versus urban 3.16 per cent.
For households, this means while inflation appears to be easing on paper, the day-to-day reality of rising prices remains challenging. How are you adjusting your budget to manage these increasing costs?