The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.84 per cent in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This shows an improvement from the 3.46 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2023 and also marks a slight increase from the previous quarter, which recorded an identical 3.46 per cent growth rate.
The NBS attributed the expansion to stronger performance in the services sector, which recorded a 5.37 per cent growth rate and accounted for 57.38 per cent of the country’s total GDP.
The report read, “Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 3.84 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“This growth rate is higher than the 3.46 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the third quarter of 2024 growth rate (approximately 3.46 per cent).
“The performance of the GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024 was driven mainly by the Services sector, which recorded a growth of 5.37 per cent and contributed 57.38 per cent to the aggregate GDP.”
Despite the overall economic growth, the agriculture sector recorded a slower expansion of 1.76 per cent, down from 2.10 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The industry sector also experienced a downturn, growing by 2.00 per cent, lower than the 3.86 per cent posted in the previous year.
In nominal terms, aggregate GDP for the fourth quarter of 2024 stood at N78.37tn, marking an 18.91 per cent increase from N65.91tn recorded in the same quarter of 2023.
For the full year 2024, the country’s economy grew by 3.40 per cent, an improvement from the 2.74 per cent recorded in 2023, driven mainly by the non-oil sector.
The oil sector’s contribution to the GDP recorded a slight decline, accounting for 4.60 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 4.70 per cent in the same period of 2023 and 5.57 per cent in the previous quarter.
Nigeria’s average daily crude oil production stood at 1.54 million barrels per day, a slight drop from 1.56mbpd recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023 but an improvement from 1.47mbpd in the third quarter of 2024.
The sector recorded a real GDP growth rate of 1.48 per cent, significantly lower than the 12.11 per cent recorded in Q4 2023 and the 5.17 per cent posted in Q3 2024.
However, on an annual basis, the oil sector reported a positive growth rate of 5.54 per cent, contrasting with the -2.22 per cent contraction recorded in 2023.
The non-oil sector, which continues to be the major driver of economic growth, expanded by 3.96 per cent in Q4 2024, outperforming the 3.07 per cent recorded in the same quarter of 2023 and the 3.37 per cent growth seen in the previous quarter.
The non-oil sector contributed 95.40 per cent to GDP, slightly above the 95.30 per cent reported in Q4 2023.
Key industries responsible for this growth include financial and insurance services, information and communication (notably telecommunications), agriculture (particularly crop production), trade, transportation and storage (especially road transport), and manufacturing.
The mining and quarrying sector, which includes crude petroleum, natural gas, and solid minerals, recorded a real GDP growth of 2.23 per cent, significantly lower than the 8.04 per cent recorded in Q4 2023.
Its contribution to GDP stood at 4.84 per cent, slightly down from 4.91 per cent in the same quarter of the previous year.
The agriculture sector, which remains critical for food security and employment, saw its real GDP growth slow to 1.76 per cent, compared to 2.10 per cent in Q4 2023.
Crop production remained dominant, accounting for 90.70 per cent of the sector’s contribution to GDP.
The manufacturing sector recorded a real GDP growth rate of 1.79 per cent in Q4 2024, up from 1.38 per cent in the previous quarter.
However, its share of GDP fell to 8.07 per cent, from 8.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The construction sector grew by 2.95 per cent, slightly lower than the 3.70 per cent recorded in Q4 2023, contributing 3.44 per cent to GDP, compared to 3.47 per cent in the previous year.
The trade sector recorded a real GDP growth of 1.19 per cent, down from 1.40 per cent in Q4 2023 but an improvement from the 0.65 per cent posted in Q3 2024.
Trade accounted for 15.11 per cent of total economic output in the quarter.
The financial and insurance sector was a standout performer, recording a real GDP growth rate of 27.78 per cent in Q4 2024, slightly lower than the 29.77 per cent seen in the preceding quarter.
Its contribution to GDP increased to 6.10 per cent, from 4.95 per cent in Q4 2023.
The information and communication sector, largely driven by telecommunications, maintained its strong performance with real GDP growth of 5.90 per cent, slightly below the 6.32 per cent recorded in Q4 2023.
The sector accounted for 17.00 per cent of total GDP, up from 16.66 per cent in the previous year.
The transportation and storage sector saw a major turnaround, growing by 18.61 per cent in Q4 2024, in contrast to the -29.00 per cent contraction recorded in Q4 2023.
Its share of GDP stood at 1.26 per cent. Meanwhile, the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector contracted by -5.04 per cent in real terms, a sharp decline from the 6.17 per cent growth recorded in Q4 2023. The sector’s contribution to GDP remained at a modest 0.49 per cent.
