Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala economic reforms praise for Tinubu, urges growth and social safety nets to ease Nigerians’ hardship

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala economic reforms praise came with a note of caution as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation lauded President Bola Tinubu’s policies while urging the next phase to focus on growth and relief for struggling Nigerians.

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Speaking to journalists after meeting the President in Abuja on Thursday, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said Tinubu’s team deserved credit for stabilising the economy, calling it a “necessary foundation” for progress.

“We think that the President and his team have worked hard to stabilise the economy. You cannot really improve an economy unless it is stable,” she stated.

While describing the reforms as being “in the right direction,” the WTO chief stressed that stability alone was not enough.

“What is needed next is growth. We now need to grow the economy and put in place social safety nets so that people who are feeling the pinch of the reforms can have some support,” she said.

Okonjo-Iweala revealed that her talks with Tinubu centered on building relief measures for vulnerable citizens and creating jobs to put more money in people’s pockets.

“The next step is: how do we build social safety nets to help Nigerians cushion the hardship, and how do we grow the economy so we can put out more jobs?” she asked.

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She concluded by underscoring that job creation and increased disposable income are essential to ensuring the benefits of reform reach ordinary citizens.