FirstBank: Nigeria’s 2026 focus shifts to jobs, investment, living standards

FirstBank’s 'Reading the Signals | The Next Half' Mid-Year Economic & Market Outlook 2026 says Nigeria’s economy has moved beyond stabilizing macro indicators to delivering real improvements in investment, productivity and living standards. The report outlines seven forces shaping the second half of 2026: whether stability translates to better living standards, private investment inflows, persistent inflation and tight financing, foreign exchange stability, refining and oil trade shifts, investor confidence and capital inflows, and productivity, jobs and household welfare.

Key figures: foreign reserves rose to $51.46 billion as of June 30 2026; refined petroleum exports jumped 20.3% quarter‑on‑quarter to $2.37 billion while imports plunged 87.5% to $310 million, widening the goods‑account surplus to $5.95 billion. The 650,000‑barrel‑per‑day Dangote Refinery supported gasoline, diesel and jet fuel exports across Africa and Europe. Capital importation reached $10.37 billion in Q1 2026, up 83.8% year‑on‑year.

While inflation remains high and borrowing costs restrictive, FirstBank stresses that the real test is whether businesses and households feel the gains before year‑end. The focus now is on turning macro stability into jobs, expanded value addition and broader prosperity.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2026/08/02/7-factors-that-could-jolt-nigerian-economy-before-2026-ends/