Nigeria’s inflation rate increased again in April 2026 as rising food prices, transport fares, healthcare expenses, and accommodation costs continued to put pressure on households across the country.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the country’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.69 per cent in April 2026 from 15.38 per cent recorded in March.
The bureau explained that the increase shows that prices of goods and services continued to rise nationwide, although at a slower monthly pace compared to the previous month.
The report revealed that the Consumer Price Index rose to 138.3 points in April from 135.4 points in March, reflecting continued increases in the cost of living.
Despite the yearly rise in inflation, there was a slight improvement in monthly price growth. On a month-on-month basis, inflation slowed to 2.13 per cent in April compared to 4.18 per cent in March. This means prices were still increasing, but not as rapidly as they did in the previous month.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the biggest drivers of inflation, contributing 6.40 percentage points to the overall inflation figure. Restaurants and accommodation services followed with 3.56 percentage points, while transport contributed 1.70 percentage points.
Healthcare costs also increased significantly, contributing 1.21 percentage points. Other sectors that pushed prices upward included housing, electricity, gas, education, clothing, footwear, communication services, and personal care products.
The report showed that food inflation stood at 16.06 per cent year-on-year in April 2026. However, on a monthly basis, food inflation slowed slightly to 3.63 per cent from 4.17 per cent in March.
The NBS linked the increase in food prices to rising costs of major staple foods such as millet, beans, tomatoes, garri, yam, pepper, beef, cassava, crayfish, potatoes, soybeans, wheat grain, plantain, and carrots.
Core inflation, which excludes farm produce and energy prices, also eased slightly. It stood at 15.86 per cent year-on-year in April, lower than the 26.05 per cent recorded in the same period last year. Monthly core inflation also dropped sharply to 1.03 per cent from 4.03 per cent in March.
Urban areas recorded an annual inflation rate of 15.40 per cent, while rural inflation was higher at 16.36 per cent. However, both urban and rural areas experienced slower monthly price increases compared to March.
At the state level, Sokoto recorded the highest inflation rate at 25.74 per cent, followed by Bauchi and Zamfara. Edo recorded the slowest rise in prices, while Borno and Jigawa also posted relatively lower inflation figures.
For food inflation specifically, Enugu recorded the highest increase at 32.67 per cent, followed by Kwara and Adamawa. Borno recorded the slowest food inflation rate.
The NBS advised Nigerians to interpret state inflation figures carefully because spending patterns and consumer habits differ across states.
Meanwhile, the Financial Market Dealers Association had earlier projected that inflation could rise to 16.42 per cent in April due to continued pressure from food prices, energy costs, and global commodity prices. However, the latest NBS data showed the inflation rate settled slightly below that forecast.
The latest figures highlight the continued economic pressure facing many Nigerians as the prices of food, transportation, healthcare, and essential services remain high despite signs of slower monthly price growth.
