Nigeria’s economic reform drive received a fresh push on Friday as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, hosted the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in Abuja for strategic talks on trade-led growth and investment.
The meeting came against the backdrop of recent economic gains — a more stable naira, easing inflation, and ratings upgrades from Fitch and Moody’s — which Edun described as the building blocks for sustained progress. He unveiled plans to diversify Nigeria’s exports, draw in private-sector investment, and boost human capital to achieve a targeted 7% GDP growth.
Okonjo-Iweala commended the reforms but urged the government to go further by creating more jobs, securing energy supply, strengthening social safety nets, and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to expand export markets.
Both leaders agreed to deepen Nigeria’s integration into global value chains, harness digital trade, and position the private sector as the engine of competitiveness and resilience.
Economic analysts say the talks mark a significant step in aligning Nigeria’s domestic reforms with global trade opportunities.
