CBN Reveals How Nigeria Lost $90 Billion In 11 Years
By Patience Ikpeme
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finally opened up on the real reasons why the federal government introduced the current economic reforms that have made the cost of living rise for many citizens.
Speaking at a meeting organized by Agora Policy in Abuja on Thursday, the Deputy Governor of the CBN, Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, explained that the country was in a deep financial hole before the new policies started. He revealed that Nigeria’s oil revenue dropped from $92 billion in 2012 to less than $2 billion by 2023. This massive loss of about $90 billion over 11 years left the government with very little money to run the country.
Mr. Abdullahi said that the country’s savings were also not as healthy as they looked on paper. While it appeared that Nigeria had $32 billion in its foreign reserves, the actual “clean” money belonging to the country was only about $800 million. The rest of the money consisted of loans and various financial agreements with other parties.
“Nigeria faced severe macroeconomic imbalances, economic distortions, and collapsing revenues before major reforms began,” he said.
The CBN chief noted that the government had to act fast because the situation was a crisis that did not allow for slow movements. He stated that the decision to let the Naira find its own value was meant to act as a shock absorber to fix the many problems in the economy.
According to the CBN, these tough choices are starting to yield some fruits. Mr. Abdullahi mentioned that the country’s real foreign savings have grown from $800 million to $32 billion. He also noted that for the first time in many years, the rate at which prices of goods rise is beginning to slow down, and the country is aiming for a period where price increases stay very low.
However, the private sector says the pain of these reforms is hitting businesses and families very hard. Dr. Chinyere Almona, the Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI), said that combining the removal of petrol subsidy, the new exchange rate, and higher electricity bills has put too much pressure on companies.
“I believe that when you put together the petrol subsidy removal, the exchange rate liberalization, monetary tightening and electricity tariff adjustments, these have put a lot of pressure on the private sector. The economy is great at the top, but that hasn’t trickled down to the common man,” Dr. Almona said.
She noted that while the government is saving about 7.5 billion from the fuel subsidy removal, businesses are struggling because power and transport now take up nearly half of their total running costs. She called on the government to use the savings to build roads and help small businesses that are currently being squeezed.
A new study by Agora Policy also paints a sober picture of what Nigerians are going through. The report shows that the cost of a healthy meal has tripled, moving from 515 Naira last year to a predicted 1,611 Naira by next year. It found that petrol prices jumping from 161 Naira to over 1,200 Naira has made transport fares double, forcing many people to trek long distances or skip meals to survive.
The study pointed out that while the government promised to help the poor with cash transfers and new wages, this help arrived too late and was not enough to cover the high cost of food and rent. It suggested that in the future, the government should not do too many big changes at the same time and must make sure that help is already waiting for the people before any new policy begins.
The CBN remains hopeful, stating that the economy is now attracting more foreign investors and that non-oil exports like farm produce earned the country $6 billion last year. But for the ordinary Nigerian, the hope is that these “big” successes will soon reach their pockets and dinner tables.
