The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has commended President Bola Tinubu and his administration for their efforts in stabilising Nigeria’s economy.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday after meeting the president at the Aso Villa in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala stressed that economic can’t improve without stability.
She added that Tinubu deserved recognition for achieving this.
According to her, the government’s reforms have been headed in the right direction.
READ ALSO: Tinubu has stabilised economy but Nigeria needs social safety nets – Okonjo-Iweala
“What is needed next is growth; we now need to grow the economy, and we need to put in social safety nets so that people who are feeling the pinch of the reforms can also have some support to weather the hardship. That’s the next step.”
Since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu has rolled out a series of economic reforms that have sparked widespread public debate.
Over the past two years, critics have increasingly blamed rising food prices and the soaring cost of living on his decision to scrap the petrol subsidy and merge the country’s multiple foreign exchange rates.
Discontent over these policies has fuelled several public demonstrations, with citizens protesting the economic strain on ordinary Nigerians and the middle class.
The most notable of these was the August 2024 “Hunger Protests,” also known as the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations.
Tinubu’s recent meeting with Okonjo-Iweala came just a fortnight before the end of her first tenure as Director-General of the WTO on 31 August 2025, and shortly before she begins her second term on 1 September 2025.
Okonjo-Iweala, a distinguished economist and global finance leader, made history in 2021 as the first woman and first African to head the 164-member organisation.
READ ALSO: Nigeria, Benin sign integration deal as Tinubu, Talon lead push for West African reforms
She was joined at the State House by Nigeria’s Trade Minister, Jumoke Oduwole, where they updated the president on progress made with the Women’s Exporters’ Fund for the digital economy.
Explaining the initiative, Okonjo-Iweala noted that the fund, jointly managed by the WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC), is designed to help women navigate economic challenges, generate income, and create jobs.
She described it as part of broader efforts to strengthen social safety nets and empower Nigerian women to make greater contributions to the economy.
According to her, Nigeria was among only four countries globally selected for the programme.
Out of 67,000 Nigerian women who applied, 146 emerged as beneficiaries.
READ ALSO: Tinubu applauds Okonjo-Iweala’s reappointment as WTO Director-General
Sixteen of them qualified for the “Booster Track,” aimed at scaling up existing businesses with 18 months of technical and business support from the WTO and ITC.
Additionally, 100 participants will each receive $5,000 to launch or expand their ventures, supported by a year-long reform programme.
