Paul told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Wednesday that Nigerians were still enduring the harsh realities of the economic downturn.

“Well, until these figures translate into better living conditions for the ordinary Nigerian, it means nothing has changed.

“I think it will take some time before people begin to feel the impact of this new development in their daily activities.

“I am confident that things will be back to normal and Nigerians will have cause to smile again,” he said.

The economist advised government at all levels to work to ensure that the country did not slip into recession again.

NAN reports that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday reported that Nigerian economy was now out of recession with a growth rate of 0.55 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2017.

The data showed that the economic recovery was driven by improved performance of oil, agriculture, manufacturing and trade sectors of the economy.