Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
Nigeria has presented an investment pipeline worth $78.5 billion to international investors and called for a fairer global financial system, as the Federal Government seeks to translate recent macroeconomic stability into faster growth and employment creation.
The delegation, led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, made the presentation at the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.
In a statement issued at the conclusion of Nigeria’s participation on Saturday, the Federal Ministry of Finance said the country had showcased progress in economic reforms while urging international financial institutions to prioritise growth that creates jobs.
The delegation highlighted Nigeria’s second-quarter 2026 economic growth of about 4.4 per cent, four consecutive months of declining inflation, 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 (GDP).
A major outcome of the meetings was the launch of Projects Nigeria, a portfolio of 65 bankable investment projects valued at approximately $78.5 billion.
The ministry said the initiative had attracted expressions of interest from investors in Asia and Europe, although it did not disclose the projects’ individual values, sectors or the specific commitments secured.
Nigeria also secured World Bank Group support for power and infrastructure development through guarantee instruments designed to help mobilise financing for strategic investments.
The IMF, meanwhile, is expected to continue providing technical assistance to Nigeria in fiscal governance, transparency and statistical development.
The Federal Government also secured commitments from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United States Treasury and the European Union to deepen cooperation with Nigeria.
Beyond investment mobilisation, Nigeria used the meetings to advocate reforms to the international financial architecture, particularly the need for developing economies to access affordable and sustainable financing.
The country’s participation also marked the conclusion of its chairmanship of the Group of 24 (G-24), during which it advanced calls for a quota-based IMF system, fairer sovereign credit ratings and lower financing costs for developing countries.
Oyedele warned that the global economy faced the risk of expanding without generating sufficient employment, particularly as artificial intelligence transforms labour markets.
He cited World Bank projections indicating that approximately 1.2 billion young people would enter the global labour market over the next 10 to 15 years, while only about 400 million jobs would be available.
The minister urged the IMF and World Bank to make employment creation a central measure of economic performance, arguing that macroeconomic stability must translate into tangible opportunities for citizens.
“Stability was the first test. Growth that employs our people is the second,” Oyedele said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s reform agenda was intended to establish a foundation for sustainable growth, investment and employment, rather than stability as an end in itself.
The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to maintaining the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of the foreign exchange market, ruling out a return to fuel subsidies or multiple exchange rates.
The Bangkok meetings come as Nigeria seeks to attract private capital, expand infrastructure and strengthen economic resilience following a series of fiscal and monetary reforms.
The government’s challenge, however, will be to convert investor interest in the $78.5 billion project pipeline into actual financing, completed investments and employment, while ensuring that the gains from economic growth are widely shared.
The ministry said Nigeria’s engagement at the meetings had reinforced its commitment to reforms, international partnerships and a more inclusive growth model.
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