The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise urgent agricultural reforms and other key sectors to translate Nigeria’s economic growth into jobs and shared prosperity.
CPPE Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muda Yusuf, made the call in a policy brief on the second-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report released on Sunday.
He said Nigeria’s economy had a strong rebound but warned that structural challenges in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, real estate, and trade must be addressed to ensure sustainable growth.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s economy expanded by 4.23 per cent year-on-year in Q2 2025, up from 3.13 per cent in the first quarter and 3.48 per cent in the same period of 2024.
The oil and gas sector surged by 20.46 per cent, but with only a 4.05 per cent contribution to GDP, CPPE stressed that non-oil sectors must drive inclusive transformation.
Yusuf highlighted agriculture as central to Nigeria’s economic resilience, noting that the sector rebounded to 2.82 per cent growth in Q2 after a near stagnation at 0.07 per cent in Q1.
However, he warned that low mechanisation, poor infrastructure, and persistent insecurity weakened its potential to create jobs and ensure food security.
“The focus must shift to unlocking productivity in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, real estate, and trade, the sectors that touch the lives of most Nigerians,” Yusuf said.
He added that while manufacturing slowed to 1.60 per cent and construction moderated at 5.25 per cent, both sectors, along with trade (1.29 per cent) and real estate (3.79 per cent), remain labour-intensive and critical for inclusive growth.
CPPE recommended urgent policy actions to sustain momentum, including lowering energy and logistics costs, expanding affordable credit for farmers and small businesses, and strengthening local content policies.
Yusuf stressed that consistent reforms, improved governance, and private sector collaboration were essential to convert Nigeria’s growth figures into tangible benefits such as job creation, poverty reduction, and food security.
Source: Punch News
Image Credit: Nairametrics
