Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Issa Aremu, has said Nigeria’s unemployment rate has fallen to about 5 percent under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Aremu made the claim while highlighting what he described as improvements in Nigeria’s labour market and the wider economy under the current administration.
He said the government’s economic reforms, alongside efforts to strengthen investment and job creation, had contributed to improved employment conditions.
However, there is currently no official 2026 unemployment figure from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The latest available NBS labour-force data was published in 2024, while international estimates put Nigeria’s unemployment rate at around 3 percent in recent years.
Under Nigeria’s current labour-force methodology, the unemployment rate measures the proportion of the labour force that is unemployed, while people who are employed but want to work more hours are classified as underemployed.
The NBS recorded an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2023, using the newer International Labour Organisation-aligned methodology.
Aremu, a former labour leader and current head of MINILS, has continued to advocate policies aimed at improving employment opportunities, workers’ welfare and national productivity.
The latest claim comes amid the government’s renewed focus on job creation. President Tinubu said in his October 1 Independence Day address that his administration would shift its focus from economic stabilisation towards broader prosperity, with job creation and lower living costs among its priorities.
SEO Title
Unemployment Has Dropped to 5% Under Tinubu, Aremu Says
Meta Description
MINILS Director-General Issa Aremu says Nigeria’s unemployment rate has dropped to 5% under President Tinubu amid ongoing economic reforms.
