Nigeria’s real gross domestic product grew by 6.23% y/y in the third quarter, slowing from a 6.54% expansion in the preceding quarter as the oil sector swung back into contraction, offsetting a stronger growth in non-oil GDP, data from the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. In Q3 2013, the country’s GDP expanded by 5.17% y/y.
After expanding by 5.14% y/y in Q2, its first growth since Q2 2012, the oil sector of Africa’s biggest oil producer shrank by 3.6% y/y in Q3 as the average daily crude oil production fell 2.7% q/q to 2.15mbpd. Compared to the same period last year, Q3’s output was 4.9% lower. Oil exports account for about 70% of government revenues, but the country is troubled by widespread pipeline vandalism and oil theft, in addition to the recent drop in oil prices. The oil sector contributed 10.45% to real GDP in Q3, down from 10.76% in Q2.
On the other hand, growth in the non-oil sector quickened to 7.51% in Q3 from 6.71% in Q2, driven by the sectors of crop production, textile, apparel and footwear, telecommunications, and real estate, NBS said.
In q/q comparison terms, Nigeria’s GDP growth more than doubled to 8.67% from 4.18% in Q3, as the agriculture sector, expanded by 38.5% (+10.8% in Q2), and industry returned to growth (+1.3% in Q3 vs. -1.2% in Q2).
The services sector accounted for the largest share of real GDP in Q3 – 49.2%, followed by agriculture with a share of 26.6% and industry with 24.2%.
Nigeria’s nominal GDP (at basic prices) was estimated at NGN22.933trn ($134.8bn).
The IMF said last month that growth in Nigeria has been resilient despite poor security conditions and a decline in oil production and forecast GDP growth to speed up to 7.0% this year from 5.4% in 2013.
| Real growth rate by sector | Q1'13 | Q2'13 | Q3'13 | Q4'13 | Q1'14 | Q2'14 | Q3'14 |
| Agriculture, y/y | 2.46% | 2.57% | 3.44% | 3.02% | 5.53% | 3.68% | 4.47% |
| Agriculture, q/q | -29.12% | 12.74% | 37.48% | -6.23% | -27.39% | 10.76% | 38.53% |
| Industry, y/y | 1.82% | 0.89% | -0.10% | 6.44% | 4.84% | 8.97% | 5.43% |
| Industry, q/q | 12.55% | -4.89% | 4.73% | -5.06% | 10.86% | -1.15% | 1.34% |
| Services, y/y | 6.70% | 8.95% | 9.08% | 8.72% | 7.20% | 6.54% | 7.61% |
| Services, q/q | -9.26% | 5.14% | -0.48% | 14.51% | -10.53% | 4.50% | 0.51% |
| Total, y/y | 4.45% | 5.40% | 5.17% | 6.77% | 6.21% | 6.54% | 6.23% |
| Total, q/q | -9.41% | 3.86% | 8.99% | 4.12% | -9.88% | 4.18% | 8.67% |
| Source: NBS |
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