The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its August 2026 inflation report, sparking debate over the accuracy of its figures and the interpretation of the trend.
Several passages in the report describe changes as percentages when they should be expressed as percentage‑point changes. This distinction matters because a percentage change refers to a proportion of the previous figure, whereas a percentage‑point change is a direct difference between two rates.
Author Uddin Ifeanyi points out that lower inflation rates simply mean prices are rising more slowly, not that domestic prices have returned to earlier levels. The wording can therefore mislead readers about the true state of price dynamics.
Despite these misstatements, the overall direction of the report remains unchanged: inflation is still trending downwards, according to the NBS figures.
With Nigeria being Africa’s most populous country, inflation continues to be a key economic concern for policymakers and the public alike.
<small>Source: Premium Times Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
