Only 8 Nigerian sectors grow above 5% as economic expansion remains uneven — NESG

Nigeria's economic growth in the second quarter of 2026 remains uneven, with only eight sectors expanding at rates above 5%, according to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group's (NESG) 2026Q2 GDP Alert. While overall GDP grew by 4.43% year-on-year, compared to 4.23% in the same period of 2025, the NESG report highlights that growth is concentrated in a limited number of sectors, underscoring persistent challenges affecting productivity, investment, and job creation.

Agriculture has sustained its recovery for five consecutive quarters, but food inflation has remained elevated since February 2026. Manufacturing has continued to expand, but the recovery remains vulnerable to weakness in key subsectors, with textiles recording persistent contraction since Q2 2024. Services remain the largest contributor to economic growth, but performance within the sector is also uneven, with infrastructure gaps, unreliable electricity, logistics constraints, policy inconsistency, and regulatory bottlenecks identified as barriers affecting the sector.

Removing these obstacles could improve the operating environment, unlock investment, and strengthen services' capacity to create decent jobs.