Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has revealed that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will soon begin, following a recent management overhaul aimed at enhancing transparency. Speaking at the Nigerian Investor Forum on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, Edun outlined sweeping reforms to bolster investor confidence and drive economic growth.
Addressing global investors from institutions like J.P. Morgan, Edun highlighted Nigeria’s economic progress, with a 3.84% growth rate in Q4 2024 and 3.4% for the year. He emphasized the government’s target of 7% annual growth, driven by reforms in infrastructure, manufacturing, and agriculture. “We’ve laid the foundation to make Nigeria a prime destination for private investment,” Edun said, noting improvements in budget deficits, trade balance, and exchange rate stability.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Olayemi Cardoso, also speaking at the forum, credited “tough but necessary” reforms, including orthodox monetary policies, for stabilizing the economy. “The numbers show our reforms are bearing fruit,” he said, underscoring Nigeria’s path to recovery.
Edun detailed sectoral priorities, including agriculture to boost food security through domestic production, and infrastructure projects like 90,000km of fiber optic cable for digital connectivity and 4,000km of roads tendered for private sector involvement, with 1,000km already contracted. He described the reforms as “unprecedented,” earning praise from multilateral partners, and affirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining them.
The announcements signal Nigeria’s push to attract global investment while addressing longstanding challenges in key sectors like energy and agriculture.
