The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged Nigeria to sustain its ongoing economic reforms while exercising caution in debt contracting and management, stressing that the country must create jobs and ensure citizens feel the benefits of the reforms.
Okonjo-Iweala made the call on Wednesday during a fireside conversation with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, at the 7th Africa Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja.
The forum, themed Building Resilience Amidst Geoeconomic Uncertainties, was organised by the CBN in collaboration with the Emerging Markets Forum and the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa.
Commending the monetary and foreign exchange reforms introduced by the CBN, the WTO chief said Nigeria should remain committed to macroeconomic reforms while maintaining fiscal discipline.
She said, “Nigeria needs to continue the work on overall macroeconomic reforms with a careful approach to fiscal issues, contracting of debt, and debt management. Above all, Nigeria needs to focus on creating jobs and economic opportunities for a young and hungry population. Nigerians have to feel the dividends of reform in the real economy.”
