President Tinubu deserves credit for the stability of the economy. The reforms have been in the right direction. What is needed next is growth…
“Give Him Credit…,” Okonjo-Iweala Hails Tinubu for Stabilising the Economy
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a thumbs-up for steering Nigeria’s economy towards stability amid sweeping reforms.
Speaking after a visit to the State House in Abuja yesterday, the former finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy praised the administration’s decisive economic policies, calling them essential for restoring investor confidence and laying the foundation for sustainable growth.
“We think that the President and his team have worked hard to stabilise the economy, and you cannot improve an economy unless it’s stable,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “So, he has to be given the credit for the stability of the economy. The reforms have been in the right direction. What is needed next is growth… 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 weather the hardship.”
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, echoed this optimism, declaring that Nigeria remains “open and ready for business” with the rest of the world. He pointed to positive economic indicators as proof of a more stable and investment-friendly environment.
Okonjo-Iweala revealed that her discussions with President Tinubu centred on building robust social safety nets while unlocking growth through job creation, expanding investment opportunities, and boosting household incomes.
She was in Abuja to brief the President on the launch of the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund—a $50 million global initiative by the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC), supported by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Nigeria is one of only four countries selected globally from 67,000 applicants, with 146 women entrepreneurs chosen for the first phase. Sixteen will enter a “booster track” with 18 months of intensive business support, while another 100 will each receive $5,000 and a year of mentorship.
“This is just the beginning,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “We will all work together — the WTO, the ITC, the Ministry of Trade and Investment, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council — to make sure these businesses expand, employ more people, and put more money in both households’ pockets and the nation’s pocket.”
The WTO chief stressed that the initiative itself is a form of social safety net, empowering women to withstand economic shocks and become key drivers of inclusive national growth. Read More
