Segun Atanda/
The Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank, Anna Bjerde, has described Nigeria as a country increasingly cited worldwide as a benchmark for steady and credible reform leadership.
Bjerde made the remark on Tuesday during a meeting with Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House, Abuja, where she led a delegation of senior World Bank officials.
She commended Nigeria’s reform trajectory over the past two years, noting the government’s consistency and determination to stay the course despite initial challenges.
According to her, the visible outcomes of these reforms have strengthened confidence among investors, policymakers, and the private sector.
Bjerde also highlighted the forthcoming Country Partnership Framework, explaining that it is firmly aligned with Nigeria’s development priorities, particularly the ambition to achieve a $1 trillion economy and 7 per cent annual growth.
President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the reform agenda, stressing that although the process has been difficult, there would be no reversal.
While acknowledging that the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates initially fuelled inflationary pressures, the President said inflation had since eased and the naira stabilised, developments he noted had improved investor confidence and the ease of doing business.
According to the President, Nigeria’s reforms are rooted in transparency, accountability, and policy stability.
He identified agricultural transformation as a major priority, citing investments in zonal mechanisation centres, improved seed development, and fertiliser availability, supported by the expanding petrochemical industry, to boost yields and move farmers from subsistence operations into strong cooperatives.
“Nigeria is the heart of the continent, and we must do what’s necessary to strengthen the economy, especially considering the young population and vast arable land. How do we deploy mechanisation and make agriculture easier? That is what we are doing through zonal mechanisation centres,” Tinubu said.
The President called on the World Bank to deepen its partnership with Nigeria by accelerating financing options, reducing bureaucracy, sharing proven development models, managing risks, and building local skills to fast-track inclusive growth and prosperity.
In her response, Bjerde underscored the need to expand access to finance for small, medium, and large enterprises, particularly mid-sized firms, which she described as critical engines of employment.
She also praised Nigeria’s emphasis on early childhood development, describing it as essential for long-term productivity, and assured the Bank’s continued support.
“Many countries, including middle- and upper-middle-income economies, are again grappling with rising stunting levels. Early childhood development is a strong entry point, and we are looking forward to a new country partnership framework anchored on this,” she said.
Bjerde reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s commitment to a programme aligned with Nigeria’s priorities, combining public and private sector interventions. She added that the Bank, through the International Development Association (IDA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), stands ready to support Nigeria’s ongoing reform agenda.
Also present at the meeting were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.
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