Long a critical sector for the Nigerian economy, agriculture recorded steady growth throughout the country’s recent recession and supported macroeconomic stability against a backdrop of volatility in the global oil market. Although the sector’s workforce, exports and GDP contribution have fallen in recent decades, as oil and gas production became Nigeria’s economic mainstay, the country is home…
With a saturation rate of just 0.5% and a population of almost 200m, Nigeria’s insurance sector is attractive chiefly for its potential. The number of uninsured prospective customers is among the world’s largest within a single market. However, realising that potential has been difficult, with the sector fragmented and in need of consolidation. Although the industry regulator has been working to…
Home to the national capital Abuja – one of the fastest-growing cities in Africa – the Federal Capital Territory has risen to become a significant investment destination in recent years. Supported by rapid population growth, rising GDP and expanding household consumption, a wide offering of opportunities have arisen across construction, mining, agriculture, ICT and real estate. However, rapid urbanisation…
Nigeria has seen much of its transport network fall into disrepair in the wake of unprecedented recent economic and population growth, as well as decades of underinvestment in critical transport infrastructure. Although rising passenger and cargo demand continues to strain nearly every segment of Nigeria’s transport sector, over the course of 2017 and 2018 the country has made commendable progress…
Although currency volatility and a recession in 2016 impacted private sector investment, public spending on new infrastructure has surged in recent years, and is expected to rise again for the remainder of 2018 and into 2019. However, public funds do not suffice to close the country’s widening infrastructure deficit, something that has led the government to increasingly target private sector investment…
Nigeria’s ICT sector has faced several challenging years, with rapid currency depreciation and a macroeconomic slowdown weighing on profitability. However the sector remains a critical non-oil growth driver and major contributor to the economy, supported by a sizeable young population and the rapid adoption of mobile internet services. Dominated by four large mobile operators, the telecoms industry…
Despite multiple trading platforms, a variety of debt instruments and a range of institutional investors, both domestic and foreign, Nigeria’s capital markets are relatively underdeveloped, accounting for only 11% of GDP in 2017, compared to a global average of 98.5% in 2016. Additionally, the authorities have not yet solved investors’ liquidity challenge and most domestics firms’ difficulties…
Following a decade-long period of growth, in which formal retail supplies more than tripled, Nigeria’s retail sector faced several challenging years. Macroeconomic volatility, a recession in 2016 and the naira’s rapid depreciation impacted retailers and consumers alike. Likewise, both purchasing power and household incomes declined, while input costs and vacancy rates simultaneously increased.…
Nigeria’s banking sector is a diversified one, in which the largest banks follow the universal banking model and a range of specialised actors tap specific niches. New trends include merchant banks, sector-specific lending vehicles, and from policymakers, increased focus on financial inclusion. These include microfinance, mobile tools, and the establishment of a network of mobile money agents to…
Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil exporter and, with a population of 193m, the region’s biggest economy and largest consumer base. While the government is reliant on oil and gas for its revenue, the economy itself is more diversified, with manufacturing, banking and insurance, retail and agriculture all major contributors. However, each of these sectors could grow faster and create more opportunities…
