Nigeria posts highest quarterly GDP growth since recession

Nigeria’s economic growth rose to an annual rate of 2.55% in the three months to the end of December, its highest quarterly growth since a 2016 recession.

Africa’s largest economy grew 2.27% in 2019 from 1.91% the previous year. The country has struggled to shake off the effects of a 2016 recession that ended the following year and has been grappling with low growth since.

Crude production hovered at around 2 million barrels per day throughout the year.

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The non-oil sector, which the government aims to make the main growth sector, rose 2.26% in Q4.

President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to revive the economy and diversify it away from oil over-dependence but investors have been waiting for policy signals that could lift growth.

Recently, the IMF cut its 2020 growth forecast for the country to 2% from 2.5%, citing lower demand for oil due to fears that the coronavirus outbreak in China will cause a slowdown.

Annual inflation in Nigeria rose for the fifth straight month to 12.13% in January, its highest in nearly two years.

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  • Abdulateef Ahmed

    Abdulateef Ahmed, Digital News Editor and; Research Lead, is a self-driven researcher with exceptional editorial skills. He's a literary bon vivant keenly interested in green energy, food systems, mining, macroeconomics, big data, African political economy, and aviation..

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