Macroeconomic Report & Economic Updates

Recently released GDP report for the first quarter of 2018 shows a stronger growth in GDP, relative to the corresponding quarter of 2017. Driven particularly by growth in the Oil sector, Real GDP grew by 1.95 percent (Year-on-Year) in 2018Q1¹. In terms of sectoral growth, oil sector rose remarkably to 14.77 percent, a 30.37 percent increase from 2017Q1. Non-oil sector grew by 0.76 percent (Year on Year), slightly up from 0.8 percent- this marginal increase was driven mainly by Agriculture (Crop production), in addition to Manufacturing, Financial institutions and insurance, Transportation and Storage, and Information and Communication

Capital imported into Nigeria, maintained an upward trajectory in 2018Q1, following three consecutive quarterly increase. Specifically, capital importation rose to $6.30 billion in 2018Q1¹- a remarkable Year-on-Year growth of 594 percent (from $908.27 million), and Quarter-over-Quarter increase of 17 percent ($5.38 billion). Inferably, investors’ interest and confidence in the Nigerian economy have continued to soar since 2017Q2; this is particularly represented by the extent of portfolio investment flows which increased approximately fifteen times more than the $313.61 million recorded in the corresponding 2017Q1 quarter, and accounted for 72.4 percent of total capital importation in the review quarter

According to the World Bank, poverty level in Nigeria increased in 2017 with almost half the Nigerian population living in extreme poverty. As stated in the “Nigeria Biannual Economic Update” report, approximately 49.2 percent of Nigeria’s population live below the PPP $1.90 per capita per day poverty line in 2017¹ – an uptick of 0.8 percentage points. Particularly important is that despite emergence from recession in 2017, poverty and unemployment levels increased. The World Bank suggests that prospects for poverty reduction have been jeopardized by limited connective infrastructure, and policy makers’ inability to identify interventions best suited for development potentials.

Media highlights show that recent figures from the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) reveals a progressive inflow of capital into Nigeria. Specific figures indicate that Nigeria’s actual capital investment inflow stood at $84.3 billion as at 2018Q1¹, growing by 27 percent from the $66.4 billion recorded for the whole 2017 fiscal year. Notably, highlights suggest that the capital investment flows have been invested in 112 projects domiciled in 28 states in Nigeria, including the FCT. The increased capital inflow gives a fair sense of growing investors’ interest in the Nigerian economy, as well as their involvements in capital investment projects.