The National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for January 2015 stating that increase in the prices of non-food items such as electricity, gas and other fuels had pushed inflation up by 8 percent.
The bureau in the inflation report made available to The Tide in Abuja recently said the 8.2 percent year-on-year-rise represented a 0.2 percentage point increase over the 8 percent recorded in December, 2014. In November last year, inflation rate was around 7.9 percent.
Following the devaluation of the naira by 8 percent by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in November last year, analysts had predicted the inflation rate would increase. There were fears that inflation could hit a double digit on the back of the devaluation.
Apart from the increase recorded in electricity and gas prices, the report also listed footwear, housing, water, furnishing, household equipment maintenance items as well as clothing as other major components that pushed up the inflation rate.
The report also showed that while the prices of most items that contributed to the index increased during the period, this was countered by slower rises in food items such as fish, fruit, coffee, tea, cocoa and soft drinks.
“In January, the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation rose by 8.2 percent (year-on-year), 0.2 percent point from 8.0 percent recorded in December.
“All major divisions that contributed to the index increase during the period the report said food prices measured by the food sub-index held at roughly the same pace of  increase in January as at December, while on the aggregate, upward pressure on the headline index was largely as a result of increasing divisions that contribute to the core sub-index.
Financial analysts had warned that the recent devaluation of the naira might further increase the cost of doing business in the country which could be reflected in the high cost of goods and services.