By Barth Ikiebe in Abuja.
L-R;
1. Lydia Shehu Jafiya- Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance
2. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of State for Finance
3. Ousmane Diagana- Vice President for the Western and Central Africa Region
4. Wale Edun- Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy
5. Damilola Ogunbiyi- Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All, World bank
6. Dr. Ndiamé Diop – Country Director for Nigeria, World Bank
7. Sanyade Okoli- Special Adviser to the President on Finance and Economy
8. Abebe Adugna-Regional Director for Prosperity in the Western and Central Africa region, World Bank
9. Trina Haque- Regional Director for Human Development in the Western and Central Africa Region, World Bank.
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the various economic reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
The Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, gave the assurance on Monday in Abuja when he received a high-level delegation from the World Bank, led by Ousmane Diagana, Vice President for Western and Central Africa.
The Minister reiterated the government’s focus on three key areas: improving project delivery speed, scaling up biometric verification for 15 million individuals on the national social register, and accelerating the implementation of the Mission 300 initiative.
He announced the establishment of a Compact Delivery and Monitoring Unit and requested a status update to ensure the nation stays on track to set new records in project approval and execution.
Key areas of collaboration include increased agricultural productivity, improved access to finance for SMEs, enhanced digital transformation, and broader financial inclusion.
Speaking earlier, Ousmane Diagana stated that their visit was to reaffirm support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda and development priorities.
Diagana praised Nigeria’s recent GDP growth of 3.4% — the strongest since 2014 — and commended the government’s progress in stabilising the economy and improving portfolio performance.
He stressed the need to maintain reform momentum to achieve inclusive, job-creating growth and highlighted Nigeria’s position as the World Bank’s largest portfolio in Africa, with commitments totalling around $17 billion.
He also welcomed Nigeria’s leadership on the Mission 300 initiative — a pan-African drive to expand energy access to 300 million people — and urged faster implementation of social protection measures, particularly targeted cash transfers.
With the World Bank’s continued support and commitment to Nigeria’s economic reforms, the country is poised to achieve significant milestones in its development journey.
Our Correspondent reports that the Federal Government’s focus on inclusive growth, job creation, and social protection measures will undoubtedly improve the lives of Nigerians, particularly the most vulnerable in the Society.
