Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 9)

PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Apr 28, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 17)

Power sector analysis shows a decline in power generated by 8.5 percent from a peak of 3,675 mw to 3,362 mw between April 3, 2016 and April 10, 20169. This record is however still below 5,074.7 mw- the highest peak ever attained in the country. The declining power supply which has been attributed to vandalism of pipelines and gas shortages, has continued to distort economic activities in the country. With the persistent fall in electricity generation, the possibility of attaining the targeted 10,000 mw by 201910 seems unattainable. A clear strategy towards increasing power generation and curbing vandalism is urgently needed.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Apr 28, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 16)

Nigerias Bonny light price declined by 7.1 percent from $40.19 per barrel on March 24, 2016 to $37.32 per barrel on April 1, 20162. OPEC weekly basket price also decreased by 3 percent from $35.81 per barrel to $34.74 per barrel within the same period3. The remerged downward trend in crude oil price is traceable to concerns over the likely failure of the oil production freeze deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran4. The outcome of the oil production freeze meeting which is scheduled to hold on April 17, 2016, will give further direction for oil supply regulation.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Apr 11, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 15)

Recent data on Nigerias labour market points to a rise in the rate of unemployment and underemployment in 2015Q4. Specifically, compared to 2015Q3, the rate of unemployment and underemployment rose to 10.4 per cent and 18.7 per cent from 9.9 percent and 17.4 percent respectively. These statistics however masks the true situation of the youth employment in Nigeria. Disaggregated data by age category shows that unemployment and underemployment within the youth age category (15-24) was remarkably higher than the national average, at 19 and 34.5 per cent respectively.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Apr 05, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 14)

The considerable increase in inflation continued to be driven by exchange-rate-pass-through from imported items as well as the lingering scarcity in the availability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). One of the key ways to reduce inflationary pressures in the near term is to improve the supply of PMS to filling stations. In the medium to long term, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may need to revitalize local refining and bridge the gap between the supply and demand for PMS by households and businesses.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Mar 29, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 13)

Recent Data on Nigerias Real GDP growth rate (Year-on-Year) declined by 0.73 percentage points, from 2.84 per cent in 2015Q3 to 2.11 percent in 2015Q4. The slowdown in economic growth was largely driven by the decline in the performance of the oil sector which was occasioned by the slump in crude oil prices and the slight drop in the volume of crude oil produced. Specifically, compared to the 1.05 percent growth recorded in 2015Q3, the oil sector witnessed a negative growth of 8.28 percent in 2015Q4.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Mar 22, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 12)

The naira/dollar exchange rate remained largely stable at the parallel market at ?320/$ during the period7, albeit slight fluctuations on February 29, 2016 (?325/$) and March 2, 2016 (?328/$). The decline in the hoarding of foreign currency as well as the substantial reduction in the speculative demand for dollars were the two key factors responsible for the ease of fluctuations in the forex market8. With the slight increase in the price of crude oil, Nigerias foreign reserve slightly grew by $56 million, from 27.81 billion to $27.84 billion9. With the continued increase in the price of crude oil, a modest build-up of foreign reserve to guard against unfavourable commodity price movements is expected in the near term.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Mar 08, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 11)

In the crude oil market, OPECs weekly basket price increased 1.07 percent from $29.02 per barrel in February 19 to $29.33 per barrel in February 26. A combination of factors were responsible for the slight price increase. First, a decrease in the number of active oil rigs in the US2 (the lowest since 2009) may have marginally eased the glut in the crude oil market. The ongoing efforts by OPEC and other major oil producers such as Russia to freeze oil production have also played a significant role in stemming the downward trend in oil prices. With the current market conditions, the price of crude oil is expected to maintain a fairly stable and modest upward trajectory in the near term.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Mar 03, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 10)

Nigerias inflation rate remained above CBNs bandwidth of 6-9 per cent. Specifically, the inflation rate increased slightly from 9.55 percent in December 2015 to 9.62 percent in January 20165. The Core sub-index remains the main driver of inflation in Nigeria. The higher prices of items in the Core sub-index such as clothing and foot wears are reflective of higher domestic production costs as a result of the decline in the value of the naira relative to the dollar. However, in the period, the price increase was moderated by the stable price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Going forward, without any sustainable policy measure to prevent the further depreciation of the naira, inflation may exceed the current single digit inflation rate in the near term.

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PUBLICATIONS MACROECONOMIC REPORT & ECONOMIC UPDATES Feb 26, 2016

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 9)

The naira depreciated by 8.2 percent from N305/$ on February 5th, to N330/ $ on February 12th 20166. The apex body identified the increased domestic demand for forex to pay for foreign medical treatments and schools fees (15 percent of total demand) 7 as the main drivers. As a result, the apex bank is considering to discontinue the provision of forex for payment of medical bills and school fees abroad and to re-channel the forex towards the manufacturing sector of the economy. With the continuous depreciation of the naira, and the CBNs resistance from calls to devalue the currency, the options for alternatives measures seem to be diminishing.

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