Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined by 2.98 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 due to economic hardships under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this in its Q1 2024 GDP report released on Friday.

The report said the nation’s current growth rate is 2.98 per cent, higher than the 2.31 per cent recorded in the same quarter in 2023 but lower than the 3.46 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.

“Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.98 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the first quarter of 2024. This growth rate is higher than the 2.31% recorded in the first quarter of 2023 and lower than the fourth quarter of 2023 growth of 3.46 per cent,” the report read.

“The performance of the GDP in the first quarter of 2024 was driven mainly by the Services sector, which recorded a growth of 4.32 per cent and contributed 58.04 per cent to the aggregate GDP.

“The agriculture sector grew by 0.18%, from the growth of -0.90% recorded in the first quarter of 2023. The industry sector’s growth was 2.19%, an improvement from 0.31% recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

“In terms of share of the GDP, the services sector contributed more to the aggregate GDP in the first quarter of 2024 than the corresponding quarter of 2023.”

In the period under review, Nigeria recorded a surge in the inflation rate, which rose to 33.69 per cent in April.