By peterside Rejoice Eneky
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has lauded the economic reform measures implemented by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing them as steps in the right direction towards stabilising the Nigerian economy.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on Thursday after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala noted that the administration and its economic team had worked hard to lay the foundation for stability, which she stressed is a prerequisite for sustained growth.
“So we think that the President and his team have worked hard to stabilise the economy, and you cannot improve an economy unless it’s stable,” she said.
While commending the President for the progress made so far, the WTO DG emphasised the need to build on these gains by driving growth and expanding social safety nets to cushion the effects of reforms on ordinary Nigerians.
“So he has to be given the credit for the stability of the economy. The reforms have been in the right direction. What is needed next is growth. We now need to grow the economy and put in social safety nets so that people who are feeling the pinch of the reforms can have some support to weather the hardship,” Okonjo-Iweala added.
She further disclosed that her discussions with the President centred on strategies to boost job creation, improve citizens’ livelihoods, and strengthen Nigeria’s economic resilience.
Earlier in the day, Okonjo-Iweala participated in the launch of a Women Exporters Fund for the digital economy, championed by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The initiative, jointly implemented by the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva, seeks to empower Nigerian women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, create employment, and drive economic growth. Nigeria is one of four countries selected for the programme.
Out of 67,000 applicants, 146 women were selected to benefit from the fund. Sixteen of them, in the “booster track” category for established enterprises, will receive 18 months of technical and business support, while another 100 beneficiaries will each get $5,000 grants and 12 months of business mentorship.
“This is just the beginning,” Okonjo-Iweala assured, noting that the project aims to help more Nigerian women navigate economic challenges and contribute significantly to national development.
