Inflation Rises to 15.38% in March — NBS

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.38 per cent in March 2026, up from 15.06 per cent recorded in February, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), released on Wednesday.

The NBS said the increase reflects renewed pressure on consumer prices, with the month-on-month inflation rate jumping sharply to 4.18 per cent in March from 2.01 per cent in February, indicating a faster pace of price increases across the economy.

Data from the report showed that food and non-alcoholic beverages, restaurants and accommodation services, and transport were the biggest drivers of inflation during the period, even as food inflation eased slightly on a year-on-year basis to 14.31 per cent.

The report also highlighted rising cost pressures in both urban and rural areas, with rural inflation climbing to 17.22 per cent, while several states, including Bayelsa, Sokoto and Bauchi, recorded the highest inflation rates nationwide.