Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s headline inflation rate declines slightly to 15.06 percent in February 2026, signalling a gradual easing of price pressures in Africa’s largest economy.
New data released Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics shows a marginal drop from 15.10 percent recorded in January.
Although modest, economists say the decline suggests inflationary pressures may be moderating after a prolonged period of high prices.
The data is closely monitored by policymakers at the Central Bank of Nigeria as they attempt to stabilise prices and manage monetary policy.
The report shows Nigeria’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 130.0 in February, up from 127.4 in January, representing a 2.6-point monthly increase.
On a year-on-year basis, inflation drops sharply compared with the 26.27 percent recorded in February 2025, reflecting a decline of more than 11 percentage points.
Despite the yearly moderation, prices continue to rise on a monthly basis.
The inflation rate stands at 2.01 percent month-on-month, indicating the average cost of goods and services increases faster during February.
Food prices remain the largest driver of inflation.
According to the NBS, food and non-alcoholic beverages contribute 6.03 percentage points to the headline inflation figure.
Other major contributors include restaurants and accommodation services, transport, housing, electricity and fuel.
Urban inflation remains slightly higher than rural inflation.
Urban inflation stands at 15.53 percent year-on-year, while rural inflation records 13.93 percent.
Food inflation declines significantly compared with the same period last year but rises sharply within the month due to higher prices of beans, cassava, millet flour, yam flour and dried seafood.
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