By Godfrey Progress
ABUJA — According to Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms are promoting unprecedented unity among Nigeria’s three levels of government and bolstering political stability.
During a meeting with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) mission in Abuja yesterday, Bagudu stated that the changes had streamlined coordination within the National Economic Council and closed the gap between the legislative and executive branches.
Despite regional volatility, the Minister emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to significant macroeconomic changes, pointing out that these actions have successfully stabilized the exchange rate and increased investor confidence by lowering pre-election concerns. The legislative and executive branches of government now collaborate better thanks to the reforms. He told the AFD team that the President’s audacious economic proposals have received strong backing from the National Assembly.
“Friendly relations between the federal, state, and local governments are equally important,” he continued.
In order to guarantee inclusive, decentralized growth, Bagudu described the administration’s Renewed Hope Ward Development Plan, a bottom-up approach intended to map the economic potential of Nigeria’s 8,809 wards.
By focusing on value chain development, local manufacturing, and agriculture, the government hopes to create a $1 trillion economy by 2031 and increase household food security and employment.
The Minister confirmed that the reforms are permanent and necessary for the country’s long-term fiscal health and private-sector-led growth, even if he acknowledged the short-term difficulties brought about by these measures.
In order to update the agency’s country risk assessment and direct future funding, the mission is thoroughly reviewing Nigeria’s structural reforms, according to AFD Country Director Jacky Amprou.
Amprou acknowledged the substantial economic changes that have taken place since 2022 and said that the organization aims to comprehend the government’s plan for consolidating these achievements and quickening the country’s development.
As the agency creates a new Country Partnership Agreement to replace the current framework, the mission affirmed that all future AFD operations will be closely aligned with Nigeria’s domestic goals.
Dr. Deborah Odoh, the Ministry’s permanent secretary, emphasized that in order to maximize impact, foreign development assistance must smoothly integrate with the forthcoming 2026–2030 National Development Plan.
Odoh reaffirmed Nigeria’s standing as a top destination for international capital and articulated the government’s expectation that development partners continue to be strategically aligned with the country’s developmental goals.
