Naira Depreciation
The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics has reported that the country’s inflation rate reached 22.79% in June, marking a sixth consecutive increase and leading the government to declare a food price emergency. The rate was 0.4% higher than May’s figure and 4.19% higher than June 2022. However, it is important to note that the June Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers may not fully reflect the impact of the fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification. The NBS explains that the data collection for June stops around the middle of the month, so it only captures about two weeks of the policy impact on consumer prices. The full effect of these changes will be seen in subsequent months.
Key Points:
- June inflation rate in Nigeria rose to 22.79%, the sixth consecutive increase.
- Nigerian government declared a food price emergency.
- June CPI numbers may not fully capture the impact of fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification.
- Data collection for June stops around the middle of the month, only reflecting two weeks of policy impact.
- The full effect of these changes will be seen in subsequent months.
Hot Take: The continuous increase in Nigeria’s inflation rate, combined with the removal of fuel subsidies and the devaluation of the naira, paints a challenging economic situation for the country. The government’s declaration of a food price emergency highlights the severity of the issue. It will be crucial to closely monitor the impact of these policy changes in the coming months and assess their effectiveness in stabilizing the economy.