Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Rises First Time in 8 Months to 15%

Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Rises First Time in 8 Months to 15%

Nigeria’s headline inflation climbed to 15.15% in December 2025, ending a consistent eight-month period of decline.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday confirmed this slight rise, up from the 14.45% recorded the previous month.

The NBS clarified that this “artificial spike” resulted from a technical adjustment to the calculation’s base year. By transitioning the reference period to the 2024 average, the bureau intended to better capture the structural economic shifts triggered by recent government fiscal reforms.

Conversely, food inflation continued its downward trend, dropping to 10.84% in December. This improvement was largely driven by a successful harvest season and a more predictable exchange rate, which helped keep grocery prices more stable during the final months of the year.

Experts consider the 15% figure a major success, as it meets the Federal Government’s specific year-end economic target. Despite the technical interruption to the downward streak, the current data suggests inflation is stabilizing significantly compared to the 34% highs seen in late 2024.