Gabon has topped worker productivity in Africa for 21 of 33 years; Nigeria stays outside top 20

  • Gabon led Africa in GDP per person employed for 21 years, the most of any country, thanks largely to its oil wealth and smaller labour force.
  • Equatorial Guinea was a close second, topping the list for 12 straight years, particularly during its oil boom.
  • Libya never came first but held second place in 18 different years, showing long-term stability in productivity.
  • Algeria and Egypt frequently ranked in the top three but never led.
  • Nigeria, despite being Africa’s most populous country and once its largest economy, never made it into the top 3 and has consistently ranked around 23rd to 26th.
  • The leading countries tend to share a pattern: resource-driven economies with relatively smaller workforces, while lower-ranked ones often struggle.

Over the past three decades, one African country kept coming out on top when it came to how much each worker adds to the economy, and that country was Gabon. Among over 50 nations tracked, Gabon led the continent for 21 different years in GDP per person, driven by its oil sector and a relatively small workforce.

Equatorial Guinea wasn’t far behind, taking the number one spot 12 times, particularly during its early 2000s oil surge. Libya, while never topping the list, claimed second place for 18 years, showing consistent strength before political instability disrupted its trajectory. Algeria and Egypt were also regulars in the top three. But then there’s Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and now its fourth-largest economy. Despite its size, Nigeria never entered the top ranks for worker productivity. Year after year, it sat outside the top 20, reflecting the challenges of a large informal sector, underemployment, and slow structural reform.

In this data, the message is clear: size alone doesn’t drive productivity. The countries that led weren’t always the biggest, but they were the most efficient at turning work into economic value.

Source:

World Bank - World Development Indicators

Period:

1991-2023
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Administrative services surged by 21%, recording the most significant growth in Nigeria's 2024 rebased economy
  • Administrative & support services showed the highest percentage increase at 21.07%.
  • Agriculture is the largest sector by GDP value, at ₦59.31 trillion.
  • Trade is the second largest sector by GDP value, at ₦37.81 trillion.
  • Real estate is the third largest sector by GDP value, at ₦28.96 trillion.
  • Other services experienced negative growth, decreasing by -1.17%.
  • Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply recorded the lowest positive growth at 0.56%.

Nigeria’s foreign trade
  • Total Trade Volume in Q1 2025 stood at ₦36.02 trillion, with exports totalling ₦20.6 trillion and imports at ₦15.4 trillion, resulting in a surplus of ₦5.17 trillion.
  • Crude oil dominates Nigeria’s export trade, accounting for the largest share of export revenue. -
  • Other petroleum oil products are also a major export item, reflecting the significance of both raw and refined oil-based commodities in Nigeria’s trade portfolio. -
  • On the import side, manufactured goods dominate, showing Nigeria’s continued reliance on foreign machinery, technology, and consumer goods.
  • While Nigeria exports mostly raw and oil-based products, it imports refined, processed, or industrial goods, indicating a structural trade gap and limited local industrial capacity. -
  • Agricultural and raw material goods feature on both sides of trade, but their value is significantly less than petroleum-related trade.

Total FAAC revenue shared in Nigeria consistently grew year-on-year from February to June 2025, with increases ranging from 39% to 49%
  • Nigeria’s FAAC revenue increased 49% YoY in March 2025 (₦1.68T vs ₦1.12T in March 2024).
  • February 2025 saw a 48% increase YoY (₦1.70T vs ₦1.15T in February 2024).
  • April 2025 revenue rose by 41% YoY, moving from ₦1.12T in April 2024 to ₦1.58T.
  • January 2025 showed no YoY change, recording ₦1.42T in both 2024 and 2025.
  • The consistent growth in H1 2025 FAAC revenues signals improved government revenue mobilisation, better oil/non-oil collections, and higher capacity for states to meet obligations.

Nigeria experienced substantial year-on-year declines in exchange rate gain revenue from April to June 2025, with decreases of 90%, 81%, and 85% respectively
  • Nigeria’s exchange rate gain revenue dropped by 73.2% in H1 2025 compared to H1 2024.
  • In April 2025, exchange rate gain fell by 90% year-on-year from ₦285.5B to ₦28.7B.
  • May saw an 81% drop, with revenue declining from ₦438.9B in 2024 to ₦81.4B in 2025.
  • January 2025 was the only month with a stable figure, matching January 2024’s ₦402.7B.
  • Exchange rate gain revenue for February and March 2025 was unavailable, likely worsening the total.
  • The first half of 2025 generated only ₦589.4B in FX gains, compared to ₦2.2T in the same period in 2024.

The top three indebted states (Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo) collectively account for over $2.18B, nearly half of the total $4.80B states' external debt
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  • Cross River, Rivers, and Ogun round out the top six debtors, each with external debts around [$190–210] million.
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Jigawa has the lowest domestic debt among Nigerian states at ₦1.06B, a stark contrast to Lagos's (the highest) ₦874.04B debt
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