Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Nigeria has presented an investment pipeline worth $78.5 billion and called for a fairer global financial system as it concluded participation in the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.Buy Maps
The country also urged international financial institutions to prioritise job creation as a measure of economic growth amid concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on employment.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, who led the Nigerian delegation alongside the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, said the country must translate economic stability into faster growth that creates jobs.
According to the Ministry of Finance, Nigeria recorded economic growth of about 4.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, alongside four consecutive months of declining inflation.
The country also reported foreign reserves exceeding $55 billion, a tax-to-GDP ratio of 12.5 per cent and public debt equivalent to 36 per cent of gross domestic product.
A major outcome of the meetings was the launch of Projects Nigeria, an initiative featuring 65 bankable projects valued at approximately $78.5 billion.Buy Maps
The ministry said the initiative had attracted expressions of interest from investors in Asia and Europe, although it did not disclose the amount of investment committed.
Nigeria also secured World Bank Group support for power and infrastructure development through guarantee instruments, while the IMF agreed to continue providing technical assistance in fiscal governance, transparency and statistics.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United States Treasury and the European Union also made commitments to deepen cooperation with Nigeria.Buy Maps
On the international financial system, Nigeria used the meetings to advance calls for a quota-based IMF system, fairer sovereign credit ratings and lower borrowing costs for developing countries.
The country also concluded its chairmanship of the Group of 24 (G-24), an organisation that represents the interests of developing countries on international monetary and development finance issues.
Oyedele, however, warned that advances in artificial intelligence could generate economic growth without creating enough jobs, particularly for young people entering the global labour market.
He cited projections that about 1.2 billion young people would enter the global labour market over the next 10 to 15 years, compared with an estimated 400 million available jobs, according to the World Bank.
The minister called on the Bretton Woods institutions to measure their success by the number of jobs created rather than relying solely on conventional economic indicators.
“Stability was the first test. Growth that employs our people is the second,” Oyedele said.
He also reaffirmed the government’s position against reinstating fuel subsidies or returning to multiple exchange rates.
Nigeria’s participation in the meetings comes as the government seeks to consolidate economic reforms, attract investment and ensure that improved macroeconomic indicators translate into employment and better living conditions for citizens.
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