Nigeria’s manufacturing sector shrinks in March as cash scarcity bites

Nigeria’s manufacturing sector shrank for the second month in a row in March as cash scarcity in Africa’s biggest economy hampered private sector activity.

The development forced output and new orders to drop at rates steeper than those of the preceding month.

The latest edition of Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria PMI, which measures factory activity in the country, puts Nigeria’s purchasing manager index for March at 42.3 compared to 44.7 for February.