The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in its 293rd meeting held on the 27th of February, raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 400 basis points, from 18.75 percent to 22.75 percent. The MPR is the benchmark interest rate set by the CBN for commercial banks to disburse loans to businesses and individuals. The committee also agreed to raise the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), the percentage of a commercial bank’s deposits that it must keep in reserve, from 32.5 percent to 45 percent.
March 24, 2024
Nigeria Economic Update(Issue 9)
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Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 51)
According to figures released by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, employment growth lagged during the recession period, and worsened unemployment/underemployment rates few quarters after. Specifically, unemployment rate rose to 18.8 percent in 2017Q31, up from 16.2 percent in previous quarter (the recession-exit quarter) and 13.9 percent in corresponding quarter. Disaggregated figures reveal that the number of unemployed and underemployed persons in the labour force increased by 17 percent and 2 percent respectively, to 15.9 million and 18.0 million in 2017Q3, majority of which are young persons within ages 15-34.