Economic Growth in Nigeria
Nigeria's economy recorded an average growth rate of 2.2% in the decade to 2022, below the 3.0% average for Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2022, real GDP growth was 3.1%. For more GDP information, visit our dedicated page.
Nigeria GDP Chart
Note: This chart displays Economic Growth (GDP, annual variation in %) for Nigeria from 2013 to 2022.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics Nigeria.
Nigeria GDP Data
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Growth (GDP, ann. var. %) | 1.9 | 2.3 | -1.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| GDP (USD bn) | 357 | 403 | 406 | 440 | 478 |
| GDP (NGN bn) | 129,087 | 145,639 | 154,252 | 176,076 | 202,365 |
| Economic Growth (Nominal GDP, ann. var. %) | 12.3 | 12.8 | 5.9 | 14.1 | 14.9 |
GDP growth ticks up in the second quarter
GDP growth accelerated to 2.5% year on year in the second quarter from 2.3% in the first quarter, as the country recovered from a cash crunch that occurred in Q1. Growth in the non-oil sector of the economy accelerated to 3.6% year on year in Q2 (Q1: +2.8%). The services sector grew 4.4% annually in the second quarter, picking up from the first quarter's 3.2% increase. In addition, the agricultural sector strengthened, expanding 1.5% in Q2 (Q1:+0.9% yoy). On the flip side, the industrial sector contracted 10.2% in Q2, marking the worst result since Q2 2020 (Q1: +0.3% yoy). Meanwhile, the oil sector shrank at a sharper annual rate of 13.4% in Q2 (Q1:-4.2%). Oil production fell to 1.23 million barrels per day (mbpd) in Q2 from 1.35 mbpd in the previous quarter.
The economy is seen accelerating slightly in H2, but the outlook remains uncertain. President Tinubu kicked off his tenure in June with drastic reforms—the removal of costly fuel subsidies and the liberalization of the FX regime. These measures spurred inflationary pressures in June and July, exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis, but they also strengthened investor sentiment and bode well for financial stability going forward. The government’s commitment to these reforms is the key factor to watch in the coming months.
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Nigerian GDP projections for the next ten years from a panel of 24 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable GDP forecast available for Nigerian GDP.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Nigerian GDP projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Nigerian GDP forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.