Nigeria Week Ahead: Deepening conflict, Oil price volatility, Inflation Scare
Nigeria Week Ahead: Deepening conflict, Oil price volatility, Inflation Scare By Matthew Anthony, Senior Market Analyst- Africa Tensions in the Middle East are sending shockwaves through global markets, stoking fresh inflation concerns as oil prices climb. As these tensions escalate, mounting fears of inflationary shocks could force central banks to rethink their 2026 playbooks. Against this backdrop, Nigeria’s inflation eased to 15.06% in February, just before the Iran conflict erupted. Since then, gasoline prices have soared by more than 30% for Africa’s leading crude exporter, pushing transportation costs higher for everyday Nigerians. Nigeria’s oil production has helped shield it from the war’s fallout. The currency has only dipped 0.3% against the dollar in the past two weeks. However, these shifts may challenge the CBN’s plans to keep lowering interest rates. The Naira now trades at NGN1,385 per US dollar, up from NGN1,360 before tensions flared in the Middle East. Outside o...