May 19, 2020

Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 17)

The total direct remittance inflow into Nigeria has declined considerably, falling by 50% from US$2.04 billion to US$1.01 billion between January and February 20201. This is significantly lower than 2019 levels, as a total of US$23 billion was remitted in 2019, making Nigeria the highest recipient within the sub-Saharan African region2. However, with many of its citizens resident in the diaspora residing in countries that have been severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic including Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, their ability to work and thus remit funds has been significantly limited. Given that remittance is a major source of income for vulnerable households in developing countries, this recent development could increase poverty and further widen inequality. In the coming months, remittance flows are expected to continue declining as a recent World Bank report noted that flows to low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa will fall by 23.1% in 20202. In order to mitigate against the impact on vulnerable households, the government should provide additional social safety nets for the poor and ensure that the distribution mechanism of the cash transfer programme is efficient and equitable.

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Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 46)

On a Month-on-Month basis, average growth rate of selected food prices decreased in October 2017.  Precisely, contracting by 1.24 percent in October, average growth rate fell from 0.08 percent recorded in September 2017. Notably, the contraction reflected in the food sub-index of the headline inflation for October 2017. The marginal decrease in the prices of selected food items may be in line with seasonal levels, as the harvest season reaches its peak, thus making food items relatively available at various demand levels. Going forward, investment towards the provision of better farming inputs, technology, financing, and value addition across the agricultural value chain could help improve yield output and food security all through the year.