Okonjo-Iweala Meets Tinubu, Calls for Stronger Social Safety Nets Amid Economic Reforms

Former Coordinating Minister of the Economy and current Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen social safety nets to cushion the impact of ongoing economic reforms on Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala made the call during a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja, where she discussed the state of the nation’s economy. She noted that while the administration’s reforms were on the right track and signs of economic stabilization were emerging, many citizens were facing hardship as a result of the changes.

“I shared with him that, whilst my perception is that the ongoing reforms are in the right direction and the economy is now stabilizing, there is a need to focus on building more social safety nets and growing the economy,” she said. “Putting in place more programs to help people, especially the poor and vulnerable, manage the hardship is very important.”

She emphasized the importance of creating jobs and boosting income-generating opportunities for Nigerians, stressing that targeted empowerment initiatives would help reduce economic strain.

Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the WTO–International Trade Centre (ITC) Women’s Economic Empowerment through Digital Entrepreneurship (WEIDE) Fund as an example of initiatives that can make a difference. The program aims to empower women to trade digitally, opening new avenues for economic participation