Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has lauded President Bola Tinubu for efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, saying his administration deserves credit for laying the groundwork for growth.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a courtesy visit to the president at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, Okonjo-Iweala noted that stability is a prerequisite for economic improvement.
“So we think that the president and his team, and we just exchanged with him, have worked hard to stabilize the economy. And you cannot really improve an economy unless it’s stable,” she said.
The WTO chief stressed that “Tinubu has to be given the credit for the stability of the economy,” adding that the next priority should be driving growth and protecting vulnerable citizens.
“So the reforms have been in the right direction. What is needed next is growth,” she said. “We now need to grow the economy and we need to put in social safety nets so that people who are feeling the pinch of the reforms can also have some support to be able to weather the hardship. So that’s the next step.
“How do we build social safety nets to help Nigerians cushion the hardship they’re feeling? And then how do we grow the economy so we can create more jobs and put more money in people’s pockets?”
