Data released by the Budget Office of the Federation shows that debt service payments on external and domestic debts in the first quarter of 2023 stood at ₦1,317.08 billion, indicating an increase of ₦39.61 billion (3.10 percent) above the ₦1,227.47 billion projected for the quarter. In the period under review, the sum of ₦874.13 billion was used for domestic debt servicing, while ₦442.95 billion was used for external debt servicing. When interest payment on Ways and Means is included, debt service payments in Q1 2023 rose to ₦2,229 billion. The high debt servicing costs for the Federal Government of Nigeria can be attributed to several factors, including the substantial accumulation of domestic and external debt over the years and the high-interest rate charged on Ways and Means, which is estimated at the Monetary Policy Rate plus 3 percent. The interest payments in the subsequent quarters are likely to be lower due to the securitization of the Ways and Means in May. High debt service expenses divert resources from infrastructure development, healthcare, and education. Low investment in these growth-enhancing sectors limits future growth. High debt payments arise from past debt accumulation, fiscal deficits, low taxation, and inefficiency in government spending. It is, therefore, important for the government to institutionalise policies and programs that would ensure that debts are incurred only on viable projects that would bolster economic growth and increase future government revenue. Also, government at all levels should strive to reduce the cost of governance and increase efficiency in spending with the sole purpose of generating the highest public value from taxpayer funds

According to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data on money and credit, Money Supply (M3) stood at N67.2 trillion in September 2023, an increase of 36.2% from N49.3 trillion in September 2022. On a monthly basis, it rose by 2.3% from N65.7 trillion in August 2023. These statistics show that monetary factors partly contribute to Nigeria's high inflation rate. Net domestic assets accounted for about 99.1% of the money supply in September; net foreign assets stood at N591 billion, less than 1%. This implies that curtailing the growth in net domestic assets would help reduce the growth in the money supply, which, in turn, might help in taming the inflation rate. Also, the data from CBN shows that the currency in circulation is approaching the pre-currency redesign level of N2.88 trillion in 2021 and N3.24 trillion in 2022. In September 2023, currency in circulation stood at about N2.76 trillion, an increase from N982.1 billion recorded in February. Upon the relaxation of the currency redesign based on the court ruling in March, which allowed concurrent use of the old and new currency till of the year, currency in circulation rose to N1.68 trillion. We have two months to the end of the year, and there is no policy directive on how the old currency will be phased out. This is important in avoiding the economic hardship experienced in the first two months of 2023. Hence, the monetary authority needs to use the last two months to provide policy direction about steps to slow down the increase in money supply, as a first step to curtail the inflation rate and the possibility of using the old notes in 2024. 

According to data from the World Population Review, Nigeria has the world’s second-highest number of homeless people. 24 million Nigerians do not have homes, accounting for nearly 10% of the total population. The statistics exclude those not living in a proper home with access to some of the most basic services. Several factors contribute to the high number of homeless persons, including a shortage of affordable housing options, land ownership and usage, economic exploitation, and unequal distribution of wealth and resources within the country. Homelessness is widening social inequality and vulnerability to health issues, which could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the country. Hence, there is an urgent need to prioritize the construction of affordable housing units tailored to the needs of low-income earners, in order to make homeownership accessible to all. In addition, to ensure renters' rights and stabilise the housing market, robust legal protections for tenants, such as safeguards against forced evictions and arbitrary rent increases, should be implemented. Furthermore, the government should enforce land use policies that encourage equitable land allocation for housing purposes, while also addressing land access and ownership issues. Collectively, these measures can help mitigate the housing crisis, improve living conditions, and create a more equal and stable housing market in Nigeria.

According to the World Bank, the Nigerian currency (naira) has depreciated by almost 40% since the beginning of 2023. The depreciation is not only limited to Nigeria. Other African countries' currencies also depreciated, although at a low rate. The top five worst-performing currencies identified by the World Bank are Nigeria (40%), South Sudan (33%), Burundi (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (18%), and Kenya (16%). Nigeria operates multiple exchange rates: the official rate and the parallel rate.

According to the latest Transport Fare Watch of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), transportation costs increased significantly in August 2023. The average fare paid by bus passengers within the city increased by 121.81% year-on-year from N602.48 in August 2022 to N1,336.38 in August 2023. Similarly, the average fare paid by commuters for intercity bus journeys rose by 56.6% year-on-year from N3,779.96 in August 2022 to N5,918.18 in August 2023. The rising transport costs could be attributed to the removal of subsidies on petrol. While the development is expected to improve the government's fiscal position, it imposes a heavy financial burden on citizens.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) publication on Terms of Trade (TOT) shows a deterioration in Q2 2023. Term of Trade measures the relative price of imports to exports. In April, it was 100.8 and reduced to 100.72 in May. It further reduced to 100.67 in June. As a result, TOT reduced by 0.13 percent on average in Q2 2023.

Data from the September 2023 report of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
shows that Nigeria’s oil output rose by 9.3% from 1.08 mb/d recorded in July to 1.18 million barrels per day (mb/d) in August 2023. However, oil output still falls short of the 1.74 mb/d quota allocated to Nigeria by OPEC and far below the 1.69 mb/d assumed in the 2023 budget. In June 2023, OPEC reduced Nigeria’s future quota by over 20% from 1.74 mb/d to 1.38 mb/d , and the new quota will become effective from January 2024 if the output level remains low. This data on crude oil production indicates that Nigeria is not getting the maximum fiscal buffer associated with the recent rise in crude oil, which is above $90 per barrel.

According to the rail transport data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Q2 2023, the volume of goods/cargos transported for Q2 2023 reached 56,029 tons, compared to 31,197 tons in Q2 2022, showcasing a substantial growth trend. Similarly, goods/cargo revenue collected in Q2 2023 was N188.03 million, up by 105.04% from N91.70 million in Q2 2022. 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report on Foreign Trade in Goods for the second quarter of 2023, total trade stood at N12.7 trillion, a decline of 7.6% from N13.8 trillion recorded in Q2 2022. Both imports and exports experienced a decrease in year-on-year changes; however, the rate of decline was higher for imports.