Finance Minister says broad-based expansion signals strengthening macroeconomic stability under Tinubu administration….
Nigeria closed 2025 on a strong economic note, with new official figures showing the country’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 4.07 percent in the fourth quarter.
The latest data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), points to one of the strongest quarterly growth performances in a decade, excluding the immediate rebound period following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reacting to the figures, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, described the development as clear evidence of broad-based economic expansion and improving macroeconomic stability under President Bola Tinubu.
According to Edun, the 4.07 percent growth recorded in Q4 2025 marks the second time in ten years that quarterly growth has surpassed the 4 percent threshold, outside of post-pandemic recovery effects. The figure follows a 4.23 percent expansion in the second quarter of 2025 and represents an improvement from the 3.76 percent growth recorded in the third quarter of 2024.
Sectoral Performance Drives Growth
The fourth-quarter expansion was underpinned by gains across the three core pillars of the economy agriculture, industry, and services.
Agriculture grew by 4.0 percent, a notable rise from 2.54 percent in the same period of 2024. The improvement was attributed to enhanced security in key food-producing regions and improved access to agricultural inputs.
The industrial sector expanded by 3.88 percent, compared to 2.49 percent a year earlier. Officials linked this performance to improved foreign exchange liquidity, reforms in the energy sector, and renewed investor confidence.
Meanwhile, the services sector maintained its role as the economy’s largest contributor, recording 4.15 percent growth. Expansion in finance, telecommunications, trade, and technology-driven activities played a major role in lifting overall output.
Edun also pointed out that about 30 subsectors posted growth rates above 3 percent, underscoring what he described as increasing diversification and depth in economic activity.
Full-Year Outlook Strengthens
For the full year 2025, Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 3.87 percent, an improvement from the 3.38 percent recorded in 2024. The size of the economy rose to ₦441.5 trillion, up from ₦372.8 trillion the previous year.
The Finance Minister credited the performance to improved fiscal coordination, disciplined public spending, enhanced revenue mobilisation, and ongoing structural reforms aimed at restoring macroeconomic credibility.
He said the data strengthens investor confidence, both domestic and international and signals that the government’s reform agenda is beginning to yield measurable results.
“The Ministry of Finance remains committed to sustained reform implementation, institutional coordination, and transparent engagement with stakeholders,” Edun stated.
The NBS report further noted that the services sector continued to dominate overall output, reinforcing its position as the backbone of Nigeria’s economic structure.
With growth accelerating across key sectors and reform measures still unfolding, policymakers will now be looking to sustain the momentum into 2026 amid global economic uncertainties and domestic structural challenges.