Inflation rate rose in December 2018 for the second consecutive month to 11.44 percent, 0.16 percentage points higher than the 11.28 percent recorded in November 2018.1 The rise in inflation was driven by the food component of inflation which increased to 13.56 percent from 13.30 percent within the same period. Further disaggregated data shows that the highest increments were recorded in the price of basic food items such as bread, cereals, fish, meat, potatoes, yam and other tubers. Core inflation experienced no increment from the previous month, stagnating at 9.80 percent. Seasonal demand effect is closely linked to the rise in inflation given that the holiday season is associated with a rise in the price of food items. In the coming month, we expect the inflation rate to continue on the upward trend considering the increase in election-related spending. The current monetary policy parameters should remain unchanged until a clearer picture of the effect of the election on economic indicators is known
Macroeconomic Report & Economic Updates

February 5, 2019
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 3)
Inflation rate rose in December 2018 for the second consecutive month to 11.44 percent, 0.16 percentage points higher than the 11.28 percent recorded in November 2018.1 The rise in inflation was driven by the food component of inflation which increased to 13.56 percent from 13.30 percent within the same period. Further disaggregated data shows that […]
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Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 33)
Available
reports from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), suggests a
significant reduction in the cost incurred to produce one barrel of crude oil for
the past two years. Specifically, the cost of production reduced by 71 percent
from $78 as at August 2015, to $23 per barrel as at August 2017.
This may be attributable to moderations in operational expenditures, following
repairs and restructuring in the oil region.
The Chinese Model Of Infrastructure Development In Africa
Infrastructural
development is a key step in providing a competitive business environment for
African economies. It provides the backbone for poverty reduction strategies
and programmes designed to improve the livelihood of the poor. Africa is in
dire need of infrastructural development. The absence of quality infrastructure
in the continent holds back per capita economic growth by 2 percentage points
each year and depresses firm productivity by as much as 40 percent (Escribano
et al., 2008 and Kelly, 2012). Estimates suggest that around USD 90 billion is
required to close Africas infrastructure gap annually until 2020 (AICD, 2010).