Nigeria: Private sector records 5.78% decline in August PMI – Report

Nigeria’s private sector, according to a survey conducted by Stanbic IBTC Bank, recorded a decline of 5.78 per cent in Purchasing Manufacturing Index (PMI) for the month of August.

The data obtained by Techeconomy.ng also showed that the headline PMI index performance down to 52.2 in August from 55.4 in July. The headline figure derived from the survey is the PMI Index.

And of course, the readings above 50.0 signal an improvement in business conditions on the previous month, while readings below 50.0 show a deterioration.

The bank said the business conditions in Nigeria’s private sector improved modestly midway through the third quarter, but the rate of growth slowed to a six-month low.

According to the survey, “Softer upticks in output, new orders and employment contrasted with quicker expansions in held inventories as firms seek to take advantage of faster lead times, and protect against any future supply shocks.

“However, a loss of momentum in demand resulted in a dip in optimism. Sentiment was the third-weakest in the series history.”

The bank added that purchase prices continued to rise sharply, although the rate of inflation softened from that seen in July, saying that new orders rose for the 14th month in succession during August which panellists linked to greater domestic demand.

It said: “The rate of expansion eased notably from that seen in the previous survey period, however, with some firms mentioning that higher prices led to weaker sales growth.

 “Consequently, firms raised their output levels at a softer pace and one which was subdued in the context of historical data

“Manufacturers registered the steepest uptick, followed by wholesale and retail. Meanwhile, services saw a marginal decline, while agriculture recorded a sharp contraction.”

“To cater for higher output levels, firms raised their headcounts marginally during the month. A further increase in staffing levels underpinned a solid reduction in outstanding business. In fact, backlogs fell at the fourth- quickest rate in the series history.”

The stocks of purchases rose at a sharp and accelerated pace which firms linked to efforts to protect against any future supply shocks.

It added: “Turning to prices, higher raw material, commodity, and staff costs as well as unfavourable exchange rate movements led to a marked uptick in input prices. Firms looked to raise selling prices in a bid to protect profit margins.

 “Sentiment moderated to the third- weakest in the series. Panel comments suggested the longer-term economic implications of COVID-19 weighed on optimism.”