Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria’s economic managers are intensifying efforts to attract foreign capital as global investors grow more cautious, with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, declaring that disciplined reforms and transparent markets remain central to restoring investor confidence.
CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed this after leading Nigeria’s engagement with senior business leaders and global investors at the US-Nigeria Executive Business Roundtable in Washington, convened by the US Chamber of Commerce’s US–Africa Business Center.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria used the platform to send a clear message to international capital: the country is focused on macroeconomic stability, regulatory clarity, and private sector-led growth.
“With global capital cautious and highly selective, we presented Nigeria’s message clearly and practically: disciplined reform, transparent markets, and credible institutions,” the CBN governor said.
He noted that discussions at the roundtable centred on stabilising the macroeconomic environment and strengthening the financial system to support sustainable business expansion.
“Our discussions focused on macroeconomic stabilisation, regulatory clarity, and fostering private sector-led growth, laying the groundwork for a deeper phase of US–Nigeria commercial engagement,” Cardoso stated.
Looking ahead to 2026, the CBN governor outlined an ambitious reform agenda aimed at reinforcing Nigeria’s financial architecture and improving the operating environment for businesses and investors.
“We will continue to strengthen the banking system through rigorous supervision and sound governance,” he said, adding that the apex bank would also “refine our inflation-targeting framework to deliver durable price stability.”
Cardoso disclosed plans to modernise Nigeria’s payments infrastructure to boost efficiency and financial inclusion, while also promoting responsible fintech innovation anchored on consumer protection and financial integrity.
He further revealed that the CBN would deploy data and artificial intelligence-enabled tools to enhance regulatory responsiveness and execution.
“We will continue to build institutional capacity within the Bank, leveraging data and AI-enabled tools to support faster, more responsive, and higher-quality execution,” he said.
Cardoso stressed that sustained reform, rather than short-term measures, remains critical to unlocking long-term growth and investment.
“Reform is a process that rewards consistency and discipline. Our focus remains steady: to protect trust, sustain stability, and entrench the foundations for disciplined, lasting economic growth in Nigeria,” he added.
The engagements, he noted, signal growing international confidence in Nigeria’s reform trajectory, positioning the country for deeper commercial ties with the United States and renewed inflows of global capital in the year ahead.
