The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government’s celebration of Nigeria’s reported Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, arguing that the figures fail to reflect the severe economic hardship facing ordinary citizens.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the government of attempting to “use headline GDP figures to whitewash the deep economic suffering Nigerians are currently enduring across the country.”
The opposition party maintained that rising food prices, persistent inflation, declining purchasing power, unemployment, and the collapse of small businesses demonstrate that Nigerians have yet to feel the impact of the reported economic growth.
“People do not eat GDP,” the party stated, insisting that economic growth only becomes meaningful when it improves living standards, creates jobs, and reduces hardship.
“Economic growth that does not reduce suffering, create jobs, improve incomes, or restore dignity to citizens is empty growth. Growth that only exists in official reports while citizens descend deeper into hardship is not meaningful progress,” the statement added.
The ADC further accused the government of prioritising economic statistics over the daily realities faced by Nigerians.
“Food prices are unbearable. Transportation costs have become punitive. Small businesses are shutting down daily under the crushing weight of inflation, energy costs, and weak consumer demand. Salaries have lost value. Families who once lived modestly are now struggling to survive,” the party said.
Questioning the basis for celebrating the reported economic gains, the ADC asked: “What exactly should Nigerians celebrate? The fact that food inflation continues to devastate households? That millions of young Nigerians remain unemployed or underemployed? That businesses are collapsing faster than new ones are emerging?”
The criticism followed a report by Quartus Economics, which stated that Nigeria’s dollar GDP rose by 22 per cent to approximately $307 billion in 2025, driven by stronger economic output and appreciation of the naira.
According to the report, Nigeria’s GDP increased from about $252 billion in 2024 to $307.5 billion in 2025, while nominal GDP rose from N372.8 trillion to N441.5 trillion within the same period.
The report also stated that Nigeria outperformed the Sub-Saharan African average and recorded stronger growth than several major African economies, including South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Angola, with only Ghana posting higher growth figures.
Despite the positive macroeconomic indicators, the ADC argued that statistics alone cannot define the wellbeing of citizens.
“The purpose of governance is not to manage public relations for economic statistics. The purpose of governance is to improve the living conditions of the people,” the party stated.
The ADC insisted that until economic growth translates into affordable food, stable electricity, decent jobs, reduced business costs, and stronger purchasing power, the government cannot claim genuine economic success.
The statement comes amid continuing debates over the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange adjustments, which officials argue are necessary for long-term recovery but which have also contributed to rising living costs nationwide.
