IN a bid to show that insecurity in Nigeria did not impact negatively on the agricultural sector, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Drainage and Water Resources Joe Igbokwe claimed the sector recorded significant growth.
Igbokwe who took to his Facebook page on Wednesday, September 1, claimed that Nigerian agricultural sector recorded over 23 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2021.
“Nigeria is a great country. Despite insecurity, Nigerian agricultural sector recorded over 23 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2021,” his post read.
THE CLAIM
The agricultural sector recorded over 23 per cent growth in 2021 second quarter.
THE FINDINGS
The FactCheckHub findings show that the claim is MISLEADING.
Data from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the agricultural sector contributed 23.78 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2021, this is however different from growth.
The NBS calculates growth using various metrics like year-on-year, quarter-on-quarter or half-year.
According to the NBS, in the second quarter of 2021, the agricultural sector grew by 1.30 per cent year-on-year in real terms. However, between the first and the second quarter of 2021 it grew by 1.03 per cent.
On a half year basis, the sector grew by 1.77 per cent in 2021, this is lower when compared to 1.88 per cent growth for the first half of 2020.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the sector grew by 5.55 per cent, when compared to the previous quarter.
Igbokwe represented the sector’s contribution to the GDP as growth which is inaccurate.
In the past Igbokwe made false claim about the arrest of kidnapers who abducted students of Greenfield University.
A photo he shared as President Muhammadu Buhari’s June 2021 visit to Borno State was fact-check and it was also found to be false.
THE VERDICT
Although the agricultural sector contributed 23.78 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP in the second quarter of 2021, the growth however recorded stood at 1.03% in the second quarter of 2021. Therefore, the claim that the agricultural sector recorded over 23 per cent growth in 2021 second quarter is wrong and MISLEADING.
