The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has dismissed the recent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), labeling it as a fabrication by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The NBS reported that Nigeria’s economy grew by 3.46% in the third quarter of 2024, surpassing the 2.54% growth recorded in the same period last year and the 3.19% growth reported in the second quarter of 2024. The services sector was highlighted as the primary driver of this growth.
President Tinubu praised the report as evidence of economic recovery and a positive result of his administration’s reforms.
However, Chris Onyeka, the National Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, described the report as a “voodoo document” and accused the government of manipulating data to deceive Nigerians.
Speaking to journalists, Onyeka criticized the report, claiming it failed to reflect the economic hardships Nigerians face daily.
“Unemployment cannot be coming down in Nigeria when factories are shutting down, inventories are piling up, and consumer spending is dropping. If anything, unemployment is increasing,” Onyeka said.
He also questioned the methodology used to compile the data and demanded that the NBS provide evidence of the supposed job creation and sectoral growth cited in the report.
“Once data does not reflect reality, it loses relevance,” Onyeka stated. “The NBS has become a failed institution, much like INEC in the eyes of the public.”
The NLC further accused the NBS of losing credibility due to repeated inconsistencies in its reports. Onyeka argued that the agency’s figures contradicted the experiences of businesses and workers struggling in an environment marked by slowing economic activities and rising unemployment.
“Where are the jobs coming from?” Onyeka asked. “Employers are reporting reduced economic activity and consumer resistance. It doesn’t add up.”
The NLC’s rejection of the GDP growth report underscores growing public distrust in government institutions and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies.
The controversy over the NBS report has sparked debate among Nigerians, with many questioning the validity of official data and its alignment with their lived experiences. While the government insists that the economy is on a path to recovery, critics argue that structural challenges, including inflation and unemployment, remain unaddressed.
The NBS has yet to respond to the NLC’s allegations.
