Nigeria's NBS Delays Release Of Unemployment Data 14 Months On

 Africa’s Giant Delays Unemployment Data 14 Months on.

It has been 14 months since the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last released official unemployment data, underscoring persistent weaknesses in Nigeria’s labour-market reporting and leaving Africa’s most populous nation trailing peers, including Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Angola on data timeliness.

Nigeria, referred to as Africa's giant, experienced significant delays in releasing official unemployment data, with reports in early 2026 highlighting a 14-month gap since the last official figures, causing concern over transparency and accurate labor market assessment compared to other African nations like Ghana and South Africa.

This delay underscores weaknesses in the National Bureau of Statistics's (NBS) reporting, leaving investors and policymakers without timely information on the nation's high youth unemployment and brain drain issues, even as different reports suggest rising rates.........