Headline Inflation Eases to 15.91% in June as Food Prices Remain Elevated
By Patience Ikpeme
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased slightly to 15.91 per cent in June 2026, down from 15.93 per cent recorded in May, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS said the marginal decline reflects a modest slowdown in the pace of rising consumer prices.
On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate stood at 1.66 per cent in June, representing a 0.09 percentage point decrease from the 1.75 per cent recorded in May.
Despite the slight moderation in headline inflation, food prices remained elevated. The bureau reported that the food inflation rate was 17.52 per cent on a year-on-year basis in June 2026.
However, on a month-on-month basis, food inflation accelerated to 3.75 per cent in June from 2.98 per cent in May, an increase of 0.77 percentage points, indicating renewed pressure on the cost of food.
The NBS also highlighted significant variations in inflation across states. On a year-on-year basis, Niger State recorded the highest all-items inflation rate at 42.23 per cent, followed by Kogi at 41.59 per cent and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) at 39.91 per cent. The lowest year-on-year inflation rates were recorded in Imo (19.47 per cent), Ebonyi (20.79 per cent) and Katsina (21.87 per cent).
Month-on-month, the highest increases in headline inflation were recorded in Niger (11.65 per cent), Katsina (8.13 per cent) and Kwara (7.52 per cent). In contrast, Bayelsa (-6.48 per cent), Benue (-5.58 per cent) and Cross River (-5.12 per cent) recorded the lowest monthly inflation rates.
Food inflation also varied widely across the states. On a year-on-year basis, Kogi recorded the highest food inflation rate at 53.02 per cent, followed by Niger (43.83 per cent) and Benue (40.83 per cent). The slowest increases were recorded in Katsina (19.15 per cent), Rivers (23.81 per cent) and Imo (24.60 per cent).
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation was highest in Katsina (16.82 per cent), Kebbi (9.79 per cent) and Niger (8.96 per cent), while Borno (-3.54 per cent), Benue (-2.36 per cent) and Bayelsa (-1.34 per cent) recorded the slowest monthly food inflation.
