Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Federal Government of Nigeria will pursue diversification of its revenues and adopt greater prudent resource allocation measures to mitigate the impact of low oil prices should it continue. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr. Wale Edun revealed this at a meeting with investors during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa; the Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee for Finance, Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya; Sayande Okoli, Special Adviser to the President on Finance and Economy and the Director General of the Debt Management Office, Ms. Patience Oniha.
Edun emphasized that with the recent reforms embarked upon by the present administration, Nigeria is better positioned to deal with global economic uncertainties.
He outlined the government’s strategy to cope with lower oil prices, including prioritizing government expenditure, expanding non-oil exports, and optimizing assets through public-private partnerships. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining fiscal congruence, ensuring timely payment of statutory obligations, and boosting revenue through increased oil production.
With Nigeria’s brent crude currently trading at US $68 compared to the US $75 2025 budget benchmark, the Minister emphasised that the priority of the government will be to ensure that government expenditure continues to meet the priorities of Nigerians, especially on critical infrastructure such as roads, power, and food security.
“Nigeria is diversifying its economy away from dependence on oil prices, and the extensive work on tax reforms is almost concluded. We will do all we can to create an enabling business environment, provide incentives, and implement structural reforms to attract private sector investment, drive growth, and generate revenue,” Edun stated.
With a focus on prudent resource allocation and diversification, Nigeria is poised to navigate the challenges of low oil prices and achieve sustainable economic growth.
