The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed a renewed confidence in the Nigerian economy, as its Executive Directors welcomed Nigeria’s ongoing economic recovery, accompanied by reduced inflation and strengthened reserve buffers.
According to its Media Chief for Africa, Lucie Mboto Fouda, in a statement last Wednesday, IMF noted Nigeria’s real GDP increased by 1.9 per cent in 2018, up from 0.8 per cent in 2017.
“This is on the back of improvements in manufacturing and services, supported by spillovers from higher oil prices, ongoing convergence in exchange rates and strides to improve the business environment,” IMF said.
It said the headline inflation fell to 11.4 per cent at end of 2018, reflecting declining food price inflation and weak consumer demand.
The Fund also reflects a relatively stable exchange rate and tight monetary policy during most of 2018, but remains outside of the central bank’s target range of 6-9 per cent.
IMF also noted that record holdings of mostly short-term local debt and equity and a current account surplus lifted gross international reserves to a peak in April 2018.
The Fund pointed out that persisting structural and policy challenges continue to constrain growth to levels below those needed to reduce vulnerabilities, lessen poverty and improve weak human development outcomes, such as in health and education.
Also, in the statement, the Executive Directors of the Fund welcomed Nigeria’s ongoing economic recovery, accompanied by reduced inflation and strengthened reserve buffers.
They, however, noted that the medium-term outlook remains muted, with risks tilted to the downside.
“In addition, long standing structural and policy challenges need to be tackled more decisively to reduce vulnerabilities, raise per capita growth, and bring down poverty,’’ the
executive directors said.
They urged Nigeria to redouble its reform efforts and supported the country’s intention to accelerate implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
The executive directors stressed the need for revenue-based consolidation to lower the ratio of interest payments to revenue and make room for priority expenditure.
They welcomed the authorities’ tax reform plan to increase non-oil revenue, including through tax policy and administration measures.
In statement, the executive director stressed on the importance of strengthening domestic revenue mobilisation, including through additional excises, a comprehensive VAT reform, and elimination of tax incentives.
They said that securing oil revenues through reforms of state owned enterprises and measures to improve the governance of the oil sector would also be crucial.