The effect of exchange rate pass-through to inflation in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines the effect of exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) to inflation in Nigeria. The study period spans from 1990 to 2022 and data were sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and World Bank’s Development indicators (WDI). The study employed preliminary test of Augmented Dickey Fuller unit root test. Analytical technique of Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was used for the analysis. The dependent variable is Consumer price index proxied by inflation while the explanatory variables include monetary policy rate (MPR), nominal effective exchange rate (NEER), import price index (IMPI) and Global oil price (GOP). The result of unit root suggests mixed order of integration while the ARDL bound test demonstrate long run relationship among the variables under consideration. Findings indicate that exchange rate exhibit a positive and significant impact on consumer price while import price exerts a negative and significant influence on consumer price. Based on this outcome, the study suggests that monetary authority should exercise caution in using devaluation of the domestic currency to promote economic growth, as that would not only aggravate domestic inflation but also likely increase the ERPT. Given that exchange rate devaluation is unlikely to improve the country’s chances in the international market vis-à-vis its exports.