JUST IN: Nigeria’s GDP Slows to 2.31% in Q1 of 2023

Image

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Nigeria’s economic growth slowed to 2.31 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 from the 3.52 per cent achieved in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 3.11 per cent reported in the first three months of last year.

This revelation was made by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data released on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

The country’s economy was on its knees in the first three months of this year because of the preparations for the 2023 general elections and the cash crunch.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) redesigned the Naira last year and gave till February 10 to swap the old notes with the new dominations of N200, N500, and N1,000.

However, the policy triggered economic hardship and riots across the country and resulted in the intervention of the Supreme Court, which pushed the deadline forward to December 2023.

The CBN Naira redesign policy seems to have been abandoned as the new notes are not seen in circulation as expected ahead of the new deadline for the validity of the old currency notes.

In its data released today, the stats office said the decline in the economic growth in the period under review could be “attributed to the adverse effects of the cash crunch experienced during the quarter.”

It stated that, “The performance of the GDP in the first quarter of 2023 was driven mainly by the services sector, which recorded a growth of 4.35 per cent and contributed 57.29 per cent to the aggregate GDP.”

“The agriculture sector grew by -0.90 per cent, lower than the growth of 3.16 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2022.

“Although the growth of the industry sector improved to 0.31 per cent relative to – 6.81 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2022, agriculture and the industry sectors contributed less to the aggregate GDP in the quarter under review compared to the first quarter of 2022,” a part of the release said.

The NBS disclosed that the real growth of the oil sector was –4.21 per cent on a year-on-year basis in Q1 2023, indicating an increase of 21.83 per cent relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2022 at -26.04 per cent.

It said growth increased by 9.18 per cent when compared to Q4 2022, which was –13.38 per cent, and on a quarter-on-quarter basis, the oil sector recorded a growth rate of 20.68 per cent in Q1 2023.

The sector, according to the stats office, contributed 6.21 per cent to the total real GDP in Q1 2023, down from the figure recorded in the corresponding period of 2022 and up from the preceding quarter, where it contributed 6.63 per cent and 4.34 per cent, respectively.

As for the non-oil sector, it grew by 2.77 per cent in real terms during the reference quarter, lower by 3.30 per cent points compared to the rate recorded in the same quarter of 2022 and 1.67 per cent points lower than the fourth quarter of 2022.

This sector was driven in the first quarter of 2023 mainly by Information and Communication (Telecommunication); Financial and Insurance (Financial Institutions); Trade; Manufacturing (Food, Beverage & Tobacco); Construction; and Transportation & Storage (Road Transport), accounting for positive GDP growth.

In real terms, the non-oil sector contributed 93.79 per cent to the nation’s GDP in the first quarter of 2023, higher than the share recorded in the first quarter of 2022, which was 93.37 per cent and lower than the fourth quarter of 2022 recorded as 95.66 per cent.

Share
Related Stories
Image
30-September-2023

NGX Sheds N37bn as Investors Sell Stocks in Panic to Buy FX

By Dipo Olowookere Profit-taking persisted on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, as investors refused to tone down their profit-taking activities. It was observed that the market is gradually entering panic mode due to macroeconomic instability in the country, especially with the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar going above N1,000 in the parallel market. A stockbroker with one of the leading brokerage firms in the country, who asked not to be named, said the local bourse was witnessing panic selling due to investors liquidating their shares for Dollars. “This trend will continue for a while

Image
30-September-2023

Naira Appreciates on Dollar Across FX Market Segments

By Adedapo Adesanya The Naira appreciated against the US Dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E), the Peer-to-Peer (P2P), and the black market arms of the foreign exchange (forex) market on Friday, September 29, as a turbulent third quarter ended. In the official segment, the local currency improved its value against the greenback by 2.6 per cent or N20.04 to close at N755.27/$1, in contrast to the preceding day’s N775.31/$1 amid a drop in the supply of FX into the system by 11.6 per cent or $16.73 million to $127.82 million from the $144.55 million published on Thursday. In the

More Stories
Image
05-June-2021

Equities Maintain Uptrend, Appreciate by N93bn

By Dipo Olowookere The positive momentum seen at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited continued on Friday as equities closed 0.46 per cent higher. Buying interests in MTN Nigeria, Dangote Cement, GTBank and others ensured that the stock market maintained its uptrend and investors hope this continues next week. At the last trading session of the week, the All-Share Index (ASI) increased by 177.86 points to 38,726.10 points from 38,548.24 points, while the market capitalisation increased by N93 billion to N20.185 trillion from N20.092 trillion. Business Post reports that apart from the insurance sector which went down by 0.56 per cent,

Image
26-May-2019

Missing Lagos Chartered Accountant Found Dead in Canal

By Dipo Olowookere The lifeless body of the Lagos-based Chartered Accountant declared missing some days ago has been found in a canal around Mosan-Okunola area of the metropolis. The deceased, Adewura Lateefat Bello, was declared missing some days ago while returning from work to her residence around Gowon Estate in the Egbeda, Alimosho area of Lagos State. According to the social media posts released after she was declared missing, her last contact with a relative was around Cement Bus Stop area of the state along the popular Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway. In a post today, it was disclosed that the body of

Image
09-October-2020

DMO Mulls Introduction of More Fixed Income Securities

By Modupe Gbadeyanka In order to give investors more room to grow their wealth through investment in different financial tools, the Debt Management Office (DMO) is considering introducing more sophisticated debt instruments into the fixed income market in Nigeria. The Director-General of the agency, Ms Patience Oniha, dropped this hint during a two-day webinar to enlighten stockbrokers and investors about the fixed income market. On Wednesday, the event primarily focused on the dealing member firms, while Thursday was for members of the investing public. The programme was put together by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in partnership with the DMO

Image
01-December-2021

NGX Trading Indices Close 0.05% Lower on Last Day of November

By Dipo Olowookere The trading indices of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited closed lower by 0.05 per cent on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, followed by profit-taking by investors. During the session, the All-Share Index (ASI) declined by 22.89 points to 43,248.05 points from 43,270.94 points, while the market capitalisation went down by N12 billion to N22.567 trillion from N22.579 trillion. The decline reported by the market yesterday was mainly from the losses posted in three of the five major sectors, with the energy, consumer goods and industrial goods counters going down by 0.40 per cent, 0.21 per cent and 0.04

Image
20-November-2019

Oil Sheds 2% Over Trade Deal Stagnancy as Brent Falls to $60

By Adedapo Adesanya  Oil prices continued to get the stick circumstances surrounding the US-China trade deal which has affected global oil demand over the past 16 months. As a result of this, major futures depreciated from gains gathered during last week sessions into the second day of the week. By implication, Brent crude, the international benchmark which traded above $63 last week continued its fall further on Tuesday as it shed 2.34 percent or $1.46 to trade at $60. 98 per barrel. The US West Texas Intermediate crude lost 1.7 percent or 2.98 percent to settle at $55.44 per barrel.

Image
27-February-2018

Re: I Respectfully Urge You to Resign: A Letter to General Dambazau

By Edwin Uhara I read the scurrilous remarks contained in the letter addressed to the Minister of Interior, retired Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (CFR) by one Tope Oriola with amusement. I tried to locate the central theme of the letter but could not because apart from the fact that it was laced with many lies, unfounded claims and imaginative assumptions, the letter also betrayed logic and lacked coherence, substance and clarity of ideas and facts. For Example, Mr Oriola claimed in his letter of infamy that he contemplated having General Dambazau (PhD and Associate Professor) invited to the University

Image
25-March-2020

Moody’s Assigns Ratings to Dangote Cement N300bn Bonds

By Dipo Olowookere The N300 billion domestic medium-term note programme of Dangote Cement Plc has been assigned some ratings by a renowned rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service. A statement issued on Tuesday by Moody’s said the debt issuance has been assigned a (P)B2 local currency rating and Aa3.ng national scale rating (NSR), while the proposed series 1 notes under the scheme has received a B2 local currency rating and Aa3.ng NSR by the agency. Moody’s explained that the (P)B2 and Aa3.ng ratings on the debt programme and B2 / Aa3.ng ratings on the first tranche of the exercise are one

Image
25-November-2021

Treasury Bills Stop Rate Slumps to 5.89% as Rush Persists

By Dipo Olowookere The strong appetite for 364-day treasury bills at the primary market auction on Wednesday further pulled down the stop rate of 0.61 per cent. Business Post reports that at the preceding exercise, which was held two weeks ago, the stop rate for the one-year bill cleared at 6.50 per cent compared with the 5.89 per cent it cleared yesterday. Details of the PMA showed that the apex bank offered for sale N111.1 billion worth of the maturity to investors but it received bids valued at N403.0 billion, while N209.9 billion was eventually allotted. It was observed that

Ad
Ad
Recent Stories
Image
02-October-2023

LCCI Seeks Upward Review of N30,000 Minimum Wage

By Adedapo Adesanya The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has described Nigeria’s minimum wage of N30,000 ($30) for 30 days as extremely poor and called for an urgent upward review of the wage structure. The President of LCCI, Mr Michael Olawale-Cole, during the chamber’s Independence Day message on Sunday, said an appraisal of the past 63 years showed that the Nigerian economy had performed sub-optimally with huge implications on citizens’ welfare and rising uncertainty. It noted that the economy was struggling with difficult conditions including high inflation, weak currency, declining reserves, falling household purchasing power, rising debt burden,

Image
02-October-2023

Kariko, Weissman Win Nobel Medicine Prize for COVID-19 Vaccines Research

By Adedapo Adesanya Scientists Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries enabling the development of COVID-19 vaccines, the award-giving body said on Monday. The prize, among the most prestigious in the scientific world, is selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute Medical University and also comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million). “The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19,” the

Image
02-October-2023

Ecobank Alerts Customers on Rise in SIM Swap Fraud

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Customers of Ecobank Nigeria have been urged to remain on the alert as some scammers are taking advantage of SIM swaps to dupe their unsuspecting victims. The financial institution issued this alert in an email message to customers, urging them not to lose guard. The bank said phone users, who attached their mobile numbers to their bank accounts, to take extra caution when swapping their SIM cards, so as not to be victims of fraudsters. The lender explained to customers that SIM swap fraud occurs when scammers use your phone number to access your accounts. “Scammers impersonate

Image
02-October-2023

Oando-Eni Deal: Workers Threaten to Shutdown Operations

By Adedapo Adesanya  The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has vowed to down tools and shut down all oil field locations if demands following the acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) are not met. Business Post had reported in September that Oando Plc had acquired a 100 per cent stake in the Nigerian subsidiary of Italian giant, Eni. However, the deal allegedly happened without management addressing the welfare and benefits of the workers and without due process. The development has led to several protests by members of PENGASSAN since the beginning of September 2023.

Image
02-October-2023

Exploring The Capabilities Of The ChatGPT Trading Bot In Today’s Market

Traders Union (TU) recently took an interest in ChatGPT, a chatbot by OpenAI. Think of ChatGPT as a super-smart robot friend who loves to chat about almost anything! It’s famous for giving detailed answers to loads of questions. But, like every friend, it might get things wrong sometimes. There’s a free version everyone can chat with, and a fancier version called ChatGPT Plus for those who want more. Some even call it the “ChatGPT trading bot” because of its extensive knowledge about trading. ChatGPT’s trading capabilities Without a doubt, ChatGPT has carved a niche for itself in the automated trading

Image
02-October-2023

Tinubu Increases Planned Monthly Allowance to N35,000

By Adedapo Adesanya President Bola Tinubu has increased the initially proposed monthly allowance for federal civil servants from N25,000 to N35,000. The money is still to be paid monthly for six months. The increment was announced in a statement by the Minister of Information, Mr Mohammed Idris. This development came less than 24 hours after Mr Tinubu on his first Independence Day broadcast on Sunday morning announced the monthly payment of N25,000 allowance to junior civil servants to cushion the effect of the impact of petrol subsidy removal. He said the allowance would be paid for six months. However, after

Image
01-October-2023

Boosting Website Performance: Tips for Speed and Efficiency

By Rahul Baitha In today’s digital age, where instant gratification is the norm, website performance plays a critical role in delivering a positive user experience. Visitors expect websites to load quickly and respond seamlessly to their interactions. If your website lags or stumbles, you risk losing valuable traffic and potential customers. As a web designer or business owner, optimizing your website’s performance should be a top priority. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore essential tips and techniques to boost your website’s speed and efficiency. Understanding Website Performance Before diving into optimization strategies, it’s essential to grasp the fundamentals of website

Image
01-October-2023

NDLEA Nabs Suspected Kingpin in UK Drug Export Bust

By Adedapo Adesanya The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspect wanted for attempts to ship illicit drug consignments to the United Kingdom. This was made known in a statement signed by the NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday. He further disclosed arrests made by NDLEA operatives through interdiction operations that led to the seizure of four tons of illicit substances in the past week. According to the agency, the suspect, Mr Obiorah Chigozie, had been on its wanted list since September 15. This, he said, was when a consignment of 1.500kg skunk concealed in flour

Image
01-October-2023

BUA Cement Slashes Ex-Factory Prices to N3,500

By Aduragbemi Omiyale The management of BUA Cement Plc has announced a reduction in the prices of its cement from its factory without the transportation costs to N3,500 per bag (50kg). The cement maker confirmed this development in a statement issued on Sunday, noting that it was part of efforts to make sure customers get the products at cheaper prices. In the statement, BUA Cement disclosed that the slash in cement prices is from Monday, October 2, 2023, urging its distributors not to fleet the end users. The firm said, “All pending, undelivered orders which had been paid for at

Image
01-October-2023

NITDA Opens Applications for Tech Accelerator Fellowship

By Adedapo Adesanya The federal government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has opened applications for a tech startup accelerator fellowship program to empower Nigerians with innovative ideas. The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, said the preparations for the training commenced in August with a meeting of stakeholders in tech to co-create innovative ways to achieve the target. He added that the meeting was the first in a series of ecosystem engagements to ensure that the government gets the best solutions from within. The new initiative from the NITDA is part of the