The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government for celebrating Nigeria’s reported Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, arguing that the figures do not reflect the severe economic hardship faced by ordinary citizens.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the government of using headline economic statistics to downplay the deep suffering across the country.
The party noted that rising food prices, high inflation, weak purchasing power, unemployment, and the collapse of small businesses show that many Nigerians are yet to benefit from the reported growth.
“People do not eat GDP,” the ADC declared, stressing that economic growth is only 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 party said.
The ADC highlighted unbearable food prices, punitive transportation costs, daily business closures due to inflation and high energy costs, and salaries that have lost real value.It questioned what Nigerians are expected to celebrate, pointing to persistent food inflation, mass unemployment among youths, and collapsing businesses.
The criticism follows a recent report by Quartus Economics showing Nigeria’s dollar GDP rose by 22 per cent to about $307 billion in 2025, up from $252 billion in 2024.
The ADC maintained that macroeconomic indicators alone cannot measure the wellbeing of citizens and urged the government to focus on tangible improvements such as affordable food, stable electricity, decent jobs, and stronger purchasing power.
