Nigeria’s Inflation Rises to 11.23% in August after 18th Consecutive Decline

By Dipo Olowookere

Inflation rate in Nigeria suffered a slight decline in the month of August 201 after recording an 18th consecutive decline, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed.

The inflation numbers released on Friday afternoon by the stats office said the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the average change over time in prices of goods and services consumed by people for day-to-day living (inflation), increased by 0.09 percent to 11.23 percent (year-on-year) in August 2018 from 11.14 percent in July 2018.

This is the first year-on-year rise in headline inflation following 18th consecutive disinflation in headline inflation.

NBS said increases were recorded in all COICOP divisions that yielded the Headline index.

On month-on-month basis, the headline index moderated to 1.05 percent in August 2018, down by 0.08 percent points from the rate recorded in July 2018, 1.13 percent.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending August 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 13.55 percent, showing 0.4 percent point from 13.95 percent recorded in July 2018.

The urban inflation rate increased by 11.67 percent (year-on-year) in August 2018 from 11.66 percent recorded in July 2018, while the rural inflation rate increased by 10.84 percent in August 2018 from 10.83 percent in July 2018.

On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.00 percent in August 2018, down by 0.23 from 1.23 percent recorded in July, while the rural index also rose by 0.96 percent in August 2018, down by 0.22 percent from the rate recorded in July 2018, 1.18 percent.

The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index is 13.95 percent in August 2018. This is less than 14.33 percent reported in July 2018, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in August 2018 is 13.21 percent compared to 13.64 percent recorded in July 2018.

A look at the composite food index showed a rise to 13.16 percent in August 2018 from 12.85 percent in July 2018.

This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Bread and cereals, Potatoes, yam and other tubers, Meat, Vegetables, Fish, Fruits and Oils and Fat, the stats office said.

On month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased to 1.42 percent in August 2018, up by 0.02 percent points from 1.40 percent recorded in July.

The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending August 2018 over the previous twelve-month average was 16.50 percent, 0.6 percent points from the average annual rate of change recorded in July, 17.10 percent.