On the sidelines of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings and following the institution’s Development Committee session, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, reaffirmed Nigeria’s collaboration with the World Bank to advance a shared agenda focused squarely on creating high-quality jobs for young Nigerians.
“Employment generation must be a central pillar of development,” Mr. Edun told journalists, highlighting that Finance Ministers—who serve as the Bank’s Governors—have collectively made this their top priority. “This aligns seamlessly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places job creation at the core of our economic revitalization efforts.”
Mr. Edun underscored the pivotal role of multilateral financial institutions in shaping these global development priorities. “We are scaling up efforts with the World Bank to create sustainable jobs and stimulate inclusive growth,” he said, adding that the Tinubu administration is determined to unlock private capital, attract local and foreign investment, and accelerate job creation across all sectors.
A cornerstone of this strategy is the rollout of digital infrastructure to support Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population. By expanding access to high-speed internet, data services, and fibre-optic networks, the Minister explained, young Nigerians will be empowered to offer services online, retain talent domestically, and drive the nation’s digital economy.
“Job creation is the most effective route to reducing poverty and inequality,” Mr. Edun emphasized. “Good-quality jobs are essential to stabilizing the economy, encouraging private investment, and ensuring our youth find opportunities here at home—rather than abroad.”
This partnership between the Federal Government and the World Bank signals a unified commitment to
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Tackling unemployment through targeted financing and policy support
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Fostering inclusive prosperity by creating pathways into the formal economy
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Building a digital-ready workforce equipped to compete in the modern global marketplace
As Nigeria and the World Bank move forward together, this collaboration promises to lay the groundwork for a generation of young Nigerians who are digitally empowered, economically engaged, and ready to lead the country’s next wave of growth.
