Nigeria’s Economy May Emerge From Recession In 2021 Q1, Says Emefiele

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Nigeria’s Economy May Emerge From Recession In 2021 Q1, Says Emefiele

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has predicted that the nation’s economy may emerge from recession in the first quarter of 2021.

Recall that some days ago, Nigeria entered into recession for the second time since 2016.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, made the prediction on Friday during the 55th annual Bankers Dinner which held in Lagos.

He expressed that the expected economic growth was two per cent.

Emefiele said,

“With the sustained implementation of our intervention measures, we do expect that the Nigerian economy could emerge from the recession by the first quarter of 2021.”

“We also expect that growth in 2021 would attain 2.0 per cent. However, downside risks remain, as restoration of full economic activities, particularly in service-related sectors, remains uncertain until a COVID vaccine is produced and made available to millions of people across the world.

“Second, with the significant rise in cases in advanced markets and the imposition of lockdowns in parts of Europe, concerns remain on the impact this could have on growth in advanced economies, commodity prices and the financial markets.”

He also called for measures to “insulate our economy from the impact of these shocks through our diversification efforts, while also working to ensure that we adhere to safety protocols in order to prevent a surge in COVID-19 related cases, as this could further cripple economic activities.

This prediction by the apex bank echoes the projection of the Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who stated that Nigeria would exit recession in the first quarter of 2021.