Safety nets for poor, vulnerable Nigerians my priority – Tinubu tells IMF chief

President Bola Tinubu has assured of his commitment to prioritize the welfare of the poor and most vulnerable Nigerians even as his economic reforms bear fruit.

President Tinubu who acknowledged that his reforms programmes had weakened Nigerians’ purchasing power, however, said his administration will continue to provide social safety nets to cushion the unintended consequences.

The President spoke, Wednesday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, paid him a courtesy call on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

Congratulating the IMF Chief on her election for a second term in office, Tinubu appreciated her support in implementing the reforms, calling for more institutional backing for stability and sustainable growth.

“We have started seeing positive results from our reforms, and the Nigerian people now understand the need for them, but we have to reduce the hardship that has resulted from the implementation,” Tinubu said.

He emphasised the critical need for educational access, adding “we have too many children out of school, and we know that education is a way out of hunger and poverty. That is why we are designing ways and incentives to keep these children in school, and we need your support for these kids who want to stay in school.”

Tinubu stressed that substantial resources must be invested to stimulate the much-needed infrastructural development in the country.

The President further noted that Nigeria is working on tax reforms to stimulate the economy further.

“We are engaging stakeholders and sensitising Nigerians to expand the economy’s tax base for inclusive developmental growth. We are doing this without necessarily increasing the taxes on our people who have already given a lot. We will require your support on this.”

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In her remarks, the Managing Director, who expressed a desire to visit Nigeria, commended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and their positive indicators.

She assured the President of further support in diversifying the Nigerian economy.

She specifically lauded the social investment programmes as a way of cushioning the effects on the most vulnerable and promised the assistance of the body in this regard.

Contrary to popular perception, she said that the IMF is focused on developing vulnerable societies and devoting substantial resources to emerging economies.

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The managing director expressed the Fund’s readiness to offer technical support for the budgeting process, adding that it will assist Nigeria in achieving the best possible results from loans.

Georgieva said the world had suffered some shocks from the pandemic that caused damage to world economies. Over the last two years, the IMF has injected about $1 trillion into the world economy.

While the developed countries managed the shocks better, the developing nations did not do so, she noted.

She said the IMF is working with developing countries to build resilient institutions to better manage future global economic shocks.

She stressed that it is the right of every country to benefit from the Fund after a critical analysis of its priorities.

The IMF Managing Director informed President Tinubu that the organisation’s Executive Board has approved the 3rd Chair for Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), enhancing the African voice.

She congratulated Nigeria on hosting the IMF’s African Caucus meeting in Abuja in August.

Georgieva also advocated for deepening regional economic ties, ensuring the IMF is ready to support this process.