Respite underway as inflation makes back-to-back decline by 0.52 % in March
Technical recovery of the Nigerian economy seems insight as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), on Thursday, said inflation dropped by 0.52 percent in March, the second decline recorded on the year- on- year calculation.
Initial decline was recorded in February when inflation dropped by 0.94 per cent.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index for March released in Abuja, the bureau stated that the index, which measured inflation increased by 17.26 per cent year-on-year.
Though the increase appeared with a slower pace in March when compared to February consumer activities, which was 17.78 percent.
NBS report said “This is the second consecutive month of a decline in the headline CPI on a year-on-year basis.
“It represents the effects of stabilising prices in already high food and non-food prices as well as favourable base effects over 2016 prices.
“It is also indicative of early effects of a strengthened Naira in the foreign exchange market.’’
NBS also said price increases have been recorded in all Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose divisions that yield the Headline Index.
Again the major divisions responsible for accelerating the pace of the increase in the headline index were Housing, Water, Electricity and Gas.
Others in that order include Education, Food and Alcoholic Beverages, Clothing and Footware and Transportation Services.
On a month-on-month basis, the report stated that the Headline index increased by 1.72 percent in March, 0.23 percent points higher from the rate recorded in February.
The Food Index increased by 18.44 percent (year-on-year) in March, slightly down 0.09 percent points from the rate recorded in February, which was 18.53 percent.
The index was driven by increases in the prices of bread, cereals, meat, fish, potatoes, yams and other tubers and wine.
The slowest increase in food prices year-on-year was recorded by Soft Drinks, Fruits, Coffee, Tea and Cocoa.
Price movements within the period recorded by All Items less farm produce or Core sub-index rose by 15.40 per cent (year-on-year) in March and down by 0.60 percent points from the rate recorded in February (16.00) per cent.
NBS averred that “During the month, the highest increases were seen in miscellaneous services relating to dwelling, electricity, solid fuels, clothing materials.
“Increases were also seen in other articles of clothing, Liquid fuel, Spirits as well as Fuels and lubricants for personal transport equipment.
“The Urban index rose by 18.27 percent (year-on-year) in March from 18.57 percent recorded in February, and the Rural index increased by 16.47 percent in March from 16.98 percent in February.’’
On month-on-month basis, the report stated the urban index rose by 1.76 percent in March from 1.52 percent recorded in February.
It further stated that the rural index rose by 1.69 percent in March from 1.47 percent in February.
CPI measures the average change over time in prices of goods and services consumed by people for day to-day living.
The construction of the CPI combines economic theory, sampling and other statistical techniques using data from other surveys to produce a weighted measure of average price changes in the Nigerian economy.
