PwC Says Inflation Will Average 12.2% in 2020

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has predicted that the nation’s inflation rate will average 12.2 percent in 2020.

In the report titled ‘Demand and supply shocks from COVID-19 keep inflation higher for longer’, the company based its projection on the rising cost of goods and services due to the supply shocks to commodity and the COVID-19 negative impacts on the economy.

The report explained that the supply disruption brought about by lockdown measures put in place to mitigate COVID-19 spread pushed headline inflation to its highest in 23 months in the month of May 2020.

Nigeria’s headline inflation rose by 12.4 percent year-on-year in the month of May. Its fastest pace of increase in 26 months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

However, PwC said because of the growing global uncertainty due to the projected second wave of COVID-19 and declining household incomes, headline inflation will increase from the average of 11.4 percent recorded in 2019 to average 12.2 percent in 2020.

“Barring a second wave of the pandemic, which could further threaten outlook for global economic growth, coupled with the absence of major shocks to food supply in Nigeria, inflation outlook for rest of the year could be influenced by two factors. Firstly, the elevated base effect, and secondly, waning household incomes. The first factor is likely to have a greater impact.”