Business
World Bank Urges Nigeria to Improve Public Spending to Increase Economic Growth
The World Bank, based in Washington, has highlighted that inefficient public spending is draining a significant portion of investments in Nigeria and other developing nations.
This revelation comes from the bank’s latest report, titled “How Can Developing Countries Power Up Public Investment?”
The report is a critical issue: over one-third of public investment in emerging markets and developing economies is wasted due to inefficiencies.
This not only stunts economic growth but also hampers overall development potential.
In some extreme cases, it results in costly “white elephant” projects, which yield minimal economic benefits despite their high costs.
These projects further jeopardize a country’s sovereign risk and debt sustainability.
According to the World Bank, improving government spending efficiency is key to fully reaping the rewards of public investments.
It is estimated that the inefficiency of public spending in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) is much higher compared to advanced economies.
Factors such as regulatory obstacles, corruption, and institutional shortcomings often contribute to the creation of lower-quality projects that fail to generate the intended benefits.
To address these challenges, the World Bank recommends that developing countries strengthen public spending practices by embracing transparency in procurement processes and ensuring robust monitoring of projects.
Such measures could significantly improve the impact of public investments.
In Nigeria, the urgency of improving investments is palpable.
Wale Edun, the country’s finance minister, recently emphasized that Nigeria requires an annual investment of $20 billion to achieve its ambitious target of reaching a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Ecobank Group is reportedly set to raise up to $250 million through an Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital offering in order to strengthen the bank’s capital base.
This was revealed during the company’s annual general meeting held in Togo on the 29th of May, 2025. According to the meeting, the bank stated that the conversion price for the shares will be based on the higher of the prevailing exchange rate and the floor price of $0.02 per ordinary share.
The speaker stated “As we cast our eyes into the future and reimagine all possibilities—rising competition from banks, fintechs, and non-bank financial institutions, as well as factors such as geopolitics, regulations, and capital markets—we cannot afford complacency.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently assured stakeholders about the state of the banking sector in Nigeria, stating that the banking sector can still be trusted and is secure.
The assurance was shared in a statement signed by Hakama Sidi Ali, Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the CBN. In the statement, it was emphasized that stakeholders should disregard any negative news concerning the banking sector, as such reports are misleading.
The CBN also highlighted the security of the deposits entrusted to it, stating, “There is no reason for the public to worry about the security of their deposits.” The extent of the measures and security in place was also emphasized by the director in the statement.
Nigerian Businessman Dr. Cosmos Maduka analyzes popular Billionaire, Aliko Dangote and describes him as the biggest debtor in Nigeria.
The businessman highlighted the fact that people who seem to have the most money are often the largest debtors.
“The number one debtor in Nigeria is Aliko Dangote. He’s the wealthiest man in Africa. The number one debtor in the world is the United States of America and you call them the richest in the world.”
“As you admire all of those things, it’s all credit. It’s all about credit. So you should leverage on loan, but you have to have a good structure that will support that loan.”
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