Volume 1: Consumer Price Indices

Nigeria 1

Official title

Urban Consumer Price Index - All Income Groups.

Scope

The index is compiled monthly and covers households of all income groups in urban areas.

Official base

1975 = 100.

Source of weights

The weights and selected items were derived from a household expenditure survey conducted in 1974-75 in urban areas among households of all income groups.

Weights and composition

Not available.

Household consumption expenditure

Not available.

Method of data collection

The prices are collected by agents, from markets and local stores. The frequency of price collection for each item depends on the variability of its price, and ranges from daily (for food items) to monthly (for other items).

The prices used to calculate the index are the retail prices actually paid.

Housing

Not available.

Specification of varieties

The specifications of items to be priced are given in terms of brand, make, quality and size.

Substitution, quality change, etc.

If an item is not available, a similar item is substituted, and a linking method is used in the calculation. If this is not possible, the last recorded price of the item is repeated.

Seasonal items

Seasonal items such as fresh fruit and vegetables are priced only when they are in season.

Computation

The index is computed according to the Laspeyres formula as a weighted arithmetic average with fixed base, using weights corresponding to the period 1974-75.

Separate indices are first calculated for low-, middle- and high-income groups in each centre. The price relative for each item within each centre is computed by dividing the average price for the current period by the average price for the base period. Urban-centre indices are combined to obtain the index for all income groups in urban areas.

Other information

A new series is now computed for urban areas (base September 1985 = 100) but the relevant methodological information was not available in the ILO at the time the present volume was published.

Organisation and publication

Federal Office of Statistics: Retail prices in selected centres and consumer price indices (Lagos).

Idem: Retail prices in selected centres and consumer price indices (March 1978).