N9.16tn Manufacturing Output Damped by Weak Expansion
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Nigeria’s Manufacturing Sector: Slow Growth in Q3 2025
Table of Contents
What Happened: Q3 2025 Manufacturing Performance
Nigeria’s manufacturing sector generated N9.16tn in nominal terms in the third quarter of 2025, but industry leaders say the growth remains too weak to support broad economic development. The latest GDP report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows the sector recorded a 1.25 per cent growth rate,which the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) described as slow and far below what is needed to drive real industrial expansion.
The NBS figures show that manufacturing’s nominal contribution rose by 3.45 per cent, up from N8.85tn recorded in the third quarter of 2024.Manufacturing in Nigeria covers 13 subsectors,including food and beverages,cement,basic metals,plastics,textiles,and oil refining.
Industry Reaction and Analysis
Speaking with source, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the overall GDP growth of 3.98 per cent for the period “does not reflect transformative expansion.” According to him, manufacturing is too weak to anchor inclusive and sustainable progress.
Ajayi-Kadir stated, “An aggregate growth of 3.98 per cent is not transformative. Manufacturing, which is supposed to be the engine that drives mass employment and inclusive prosperity, remains largely sluggish. The sector grew by only 1.25 per cent in Q3 2025 from 0.76 per cent in Q3 2024. Growth without productive capacity is sub-optimal and lacks inclusivity.”
A quarter-on-quarter comparison also showed that the sector’s real growth rate declined by 0.35 percentage points, falling from 1.60 per cent in Q2 2025. Ajayi-Kadir noted that this drop further highlights the weakness in the system. “Any GDP growth without a corresponding elevation in manufacturing output does not portend a robust advancement,” he added.
Subsector Performance: Winners and Losers
According to the NBS, eight manufacturing activities improved year-on-year, while five posted declines in their real growth. The subsectors that declined include:
- Wood and Wood Products (1.64 per cent)
- Chemical and Pharmaceutical Products (3.75 per cent)
- Non-Metallic Products (1.51 per cent)