Nigeria’s economy had weak consumer demand in Q1

The first quarter of the Nigerian economy was characterized by general weak consumer demand as virtually all sectors experienced declines in sales.

This observation was made by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) during a review of the first quarter performance of the economy.

One of the issues highlighted by the chamber is inadequate supply of electricity which it believes is the biggest burden on the economy.

The LCCI is of the view that the situation is more evident in the manufacturing sector as producers’ bear huge energy cost.

One other area of concern is the nation’s debt profile which is put at $41 billion as at December 2011 out of which domestic debt is $35 billion.

The LCCI prescribes that there should be a full compliance with the provisions of the fiscal responsibility act which says that government at all tiers should only borrow for capital expenditure and human development.

Despite the grim report, the LCCI believes that Nigeria offers tremendous opportunities for investors as the country is known to be second largest economy in Africa accounting for over 60% of West Africa’s GDP.