By Munachimso Obienyi
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded Nigeria’s economic growth projection to 3.2 per cent in 2022.
The development means that projection now stands at 0.2 percentage points lower than the 3.4 percent projected in its July 2022 report.
The Washington-based institution disclosed this yesterday in its World Economic Outlook (WEO) for October 2022 titled, “Countering the Cost-of-Living Crisis”.
The report also downgraded the economic growth projection for sub-Saharan Africa from 3.8 per cent to 3.6 per cent, citing tighter financial and monetary conditions. This means that it is highly possible that economic activities would slow down in Nigeria and across the world as nations use fiscal and monetary instruments to tame rising food prices.
“In sub-Saharan Africa, the growth outlook is slightly weaker than predicted in July, with a decline from 4.7 per cent in 2021 to 3.6 per cent and 3.7 per cent in 2022 and 2023, respectively — downward revisions of 0.2 percentage points and 0.3 percentage points, respectively.
This weaker outlook reflects lower trading partner growth, tighter financial and monetary conditions, and a negative shift in the commodity terms of trade.”, the report said.
Unlike sub-Saharan Africa, the report projected that growth in the Middle East and Central Asia would increase to 5.0 per cent in 2022.
According to the IMF, this reflects a favourable outlook for the region’s oil exporters and an unexpectedly mild impact of the war in Ukraine on the Caucasus and Central Asia.
“In 2023, growth in the region is set to moderate to 3.6 percent as oil prices decline and the headwinds from the global slowdown and the war in Ukraine take hold,” it added.
Overall, the IMF said global growth is projected to slow from an estimated 6.1 per cent in 2021 to 3.6 per cent in 2022 and 2023.
