Business

Beyond GDP, UNCTAD to launch new economic indicators for measuring countries prosperity

Accordingly , a High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP, mandated by the UN’s landmark Pact for the Future has been tasked with developing recommendations for a set of universally relevant indicators that countries can own and use to guide policy.

Published

10 months ago

January 6, 2026

OCHEFA

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Photo: UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. Credit: UNCTAD

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says a new metrics for measuring countries progress beyond GDP, will be launched during the upcoming UN General Assembly in the spring of 2026.

UNCTAD serves as co-secretariat to the “Beyond GDP” expert group, alongside other entities including the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UN Development Programme.

This initiative stems from the urgent need for measures of progress that enable more balanced and integrated pursuit of sustainable development.

GDP does not capture progress in well-being, equity, inclusiveness or sustainability – and it was designed as a measure of economic activity.

“Our approach will emphasize how better well-being and its drivers, such as health, social capital and the quality of the environment, are not only good for societal welfare but also contribute in an integral way to economic prosperity,” the interim report argues.

The “Beyond GDP” agenda, increasingly gaining traction among UN member countries, is about complementing traditional economic measures, rather than replacing them.

To do so, five principles are important.

First, countries need to look at more than GDP to gauge material well-being more accurately.Second, it takes more than income to capture all aspects of well-being.

Third, when addressing inequality and exclusion it’s necessary to look beyond average figures.

Fourth, the need to think in the long term, to ensure economic, environmental, social and institutional sustainability for future generations.

In addition, well-being is interconnected across countries in today’s world.

This makes cooperation all the more crucial, in setting global norms of measurement, unlimited to specific countries or regions.

Related Topics:Featured UNCTAD GDP economic indicators

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Naira Exchange Rates Thursday, 5 Nov 2026

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1 day ago

November 5, 2026

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₦1400DOLLAR (USD)

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Business

NNPCL wants to sell 10% equity via IPO on NGX, LSE

NNPC is expected to spend at least the whole of 2027 preparing for the proposed offering, with the listing primarily intended to strengthen corporate transparency and governance in line with Nigerian law.

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2026

OCHEFA

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) is considering selling between 5% and 10% of its equity through a potential initial public offering (IPO), with the proposed listing expected to focus primarily on Nigeria’s domestic capital market.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Bashir Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, adding that the company could also pursue a secondary listing in London or New York.

The disclosure comes shortly after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s IPO closed on October 27, following a two-week extension of its subscription period from the initial October 13 deadline.

Ojulari indicated that raising additional capital would be a secondary consideration rather than the main reason for going public.

The company is also considering listing some of its subsidiaries separately, following a model adopted by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil company.

Beyond the potential IPO, Ojulari disclosed that Chinese companies have expressed interest in acquiring equity stakes in some of NNPC’s smaller refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt and Warri facilities, which require substantial rehabilitation.