The inflation rate in Nigeria as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), for the month of January 2018 has further declined marginally to 15.13 per cent in January from the 15.37 per cent recorded in December, 2017, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics NBS,.

This represents a marginal reduction of 0.24 per cent when compare to the December 2017 figures.

Meanwhile, despite the marginal decline recorded in CPI, the urban inflation rate rose by 15.56 per cent (year-on-year) in January 2018 from 16.78 per cent recorded in December last year..

Details of the CPI report for January 2018 released by the bureau in Abuja Wednesday, says the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, started the year 2018 increasing by 15.13 per cent (year-on-year) in January 2018.

According to the report, the January 2018 decline brings to the twelfth consecutive disinflation (slowdown in the inflation rate in the country) year-on-year since January 2017.

It, however, stated that increases were recorded in the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yield the Headline Index.

On a month-on-month basis, the report stated that the Headline index increased by 0.80 per cent in January 2018, 0.21 per cent points higher from the rate of 0.59 per cent recorded in December 2017.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending January 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period was 16.22 per cent.

It stated that the figures showed 0.28 per cent point lower from 16.50 per cent recorded in December 2017.

The report stated that the rural inflation rate also dipped by 14.76 per cent in January 2018 from 15.02 per cent in December 2017.

On month-on-month basis, the bureau stated the urban index rose by 0.83 per cent in January 2018, up by 0.17 from 0.66 per cent recorded in December 2017.

It stated that the rural index also rose by 0.77 per cent in January 2018, up by 0.23 per cent when compared with 0.54 per cent in December 2017.

“The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index is 16.55 per cent in January 2018”, the report also said.

This was less than 16.92 per cent reported in December 2017, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in January 2018 was 15.89 per cent compared to 16.10 per cent recorded in December 2017.