US Inflation Stalls at 2.7% as Nigeria Braces for December CPI Release

|By Babatunji Wusu

Inflation in the United States held firm at 2.7 percent in December, unchanged from November, underscoring persistent price pressures as Nigeria prepares to publish its own consumer price index (CPI) figures later this week.

Fresh data released Tuesday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that headline inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s long-term target of 2 percent. On a month-on-month basis, the CPI advanced by 0.3 percent, while core inflation—excluding food and energy—rose by 0.2 percent.

Chief US Economist Samuel Tombs attributed the uptick largely to the unwinding of distortions linked to the longest government shutdown in US history under former President Donald Trump, rather than a surge in underlying economic momentum.

Attention now turns to Nigeria, where inflation eased to 14.45 percent year-on-year in November, down from 16.05 percent in October. Despite the moderation, the National Bureau of Statistics has signalled a possible rebound in December, heightening anticipation ahead of the official release scheduled for January 15, 2026.

Market watchers say the contrast between steady US inflation and Nigeria’s expected CPI movement will shape near-term policy expectations and investor sentiment.