News
Nigerian Economy Shrinks By N63bn, 28 Sectors Struggle
No fewer than 28 sectors of the economy declined in the second quarter of 2022 as real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) shrunk by N63.49billion quarter-on-quarter.
While real GDP grew by 3.54per cent year-on-year in Q2 2022, it declined by 0.37per cent from the N17.35trillion that was recorded in the first quarter of 2021 to N17.29trillion in Q2, 2022, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)data revealed.
The NBS blamed this decline on lower economic activity that was witnessed in Q1 2021.
The analysis of real GDP data revealed that only 18 of the 46 NBS captured economic activity sectors experienced growth in the quarter under review.
According to the data from the statistics body, the agriculture sector witnessed mixed positives, with two sub-sectors witnessing growth and the other two recording a decline.
Crop production grew from N3.39trillion to N3.59trillion; livestock declined from N318.49billion to N282.02billion; forestry grew from N44.14billion to N51.28billion; while fishing declined from N125.46billion to N88.3billion.
In the mining and quarrying sector, crude petroleum and natural gas declined from N1.15trillion to N1.09trillion; coal mining grew from N1.61billion to N4.79billion; metal ores declined from N4.87billion to N1.26billion; and quarrying other minerals grew from N363.29million to N25.51billion.
The 2022 has been a tough year for the manufacturing sector with inflation and foreign exchange scarcity negatively impacting growth.
Only three of the 13 subsectors in the manufacturing sector recorded any growth in the quarter under review.
Oil refining grew from N1.66billion to N2.82billion; cement declined from N188.81billion to N143.74billion; food, beverage and tobacco declined from N875.94billion to N760.08billion; textile, apparel, and footwear declined from N342.48billion to N283.34billion; wood and wood products declined from N53.81billion to N44.41billion; whereas pulp, paper, and paper products declined from N13.38billion to N9.70billion.
Chemical and pharmaceutical products grew from N42.75billion to N47.37billion; non-metallic products declined from N63.52billion to N49.24billion; plastic and rubber products declined from N60.12billion to N53.01billion; electrical and electronics increased from N839.34million to N921.50million; basic metal, iron and steel declined from N39.93billion to N37.31billion; motor vehicles and assembly declined from N9.53billion to N7.63billion; and other manufacturing declined from N76.07billion to N55.55billion.
The electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector grew from N32.72billion to N118.79billion.
The water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation sector grew from N39.06billion to N61.12billion.
Construction declined from N725.99billion to N554.11billion.
The trade sector grew from N2.79trillion to N2.91trillion.
Accommodation and food services also recorded a decline from N173.41billion to N68.17billion.
Under the transportation and storage sector, road transport grew from N151.97billion to N293.85billion; rail transport and pipelines declined from N40.96million to 19.92million; water transport increased from N802,77million to N1.04billion; air transport declined from N25.26billion to N9.69billion; transport services grew from N7.11billion to N11.14billion; and post and courier services declined from N6.26billion to N2.42billion.
Seen as one of the bright spots of the economy, telecommunications and information services under the information and communication sector grew from N2.25trillion to N2.59trillion; publishing declined from N5.45billion to N4.66billion; motion pictures, sound recording and music production declined from N229.67billion to N157.57billion; and broadcasting grew from N330.47billion to N433.43billion.
The arts, entertainment and recreation sector declined from N35.69billion to N51.85billion.
In the financial and insurance sector, the financial institutions subsector declined and insurance declined from N85.11billion to N80.18billion.
The real estate sector was one of the sectors that shrunk, declining from N927.32billion to N920.49billion.
The professional, scientific and technical services sector fell from N560.47billion to N525.94billion; administrative and support services grew from N3.39billion to N3.54billion; public administration also grew from N283.59billion to N375.59billion, but education fell from N333.06billion to N231.85billion.
While the other services sector declined from N702.74billion to N473.72billion, the human health and social services sector increased from N126.01billion to N131.28billion.
In a statement addressing the general GDP, the Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, disclosed that productivity and competitiveness issues had continued to negatively impact performance across sectors of the economy.
He stated that the general operating environment of the nation was also very challenging for most investors, with SMEs particularly more vulnerable to prevailing macroeconomic shocks, resulting in high mortality rate for small businesses.
He said, “Many businesses are struggling to cope with the numerous challenges and shocks to the economy. On the welfare front, the citizens are also experiencing serious economic hardship as a result of the galloping inflation and the impact on purchasing power.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.