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Covid-19: World Bank Approves $11.5bn For Nigeria, Others
The World Bank, has approved $11.5 billion in lending to Western and Central African countries for 98 operations to cushion the effects of Covid-19 pandemic.
The World Bank, in its 2021 Annual Report made available on Monday, posited that the gesture was to tackle crisis to green, resilient, and inclusive recovery.
“In fiscal 2021, the bank approved $11.5 billion in lending to Western and Central Africa for 98 operations, including $500m in IBRD commitments and $11.0 billion in IDA commitments. Revenue from Reimbursable Advisory Services agreements with one country was $700,000.
“To help countries in the region tackle the Covid-19 crisis, we are investing in health and expanding safety nets for their most vulnerable people. We are also supporting recovery by helping strengthen the social contract between citizens and governments, bolster job creation and economic transformation, improve human capital, empower women, and boost climate resilience”, the report stated.
The bank also said that it committed $1.5 billion through 12 development policy operations to support countries’ pandemic responses and recovery efforts.
It said it was providing governments with immediate fiscal relief while continuing to promote transparency and accountability and helping strengthen public procurement and revenue management.
“In Nigeria, we are helping the government implement fiscal measures to promote transparency and accountability, strengthen links between states and the federal government, and promote citizen engagement.
“In Cameroon, we are strengthening community accountability mechanisms in fragile contexts by improving service delivery for over one million people, many of whom are forcibly displaced.
“In Côte d’Ivoire, the bank and IFC are establishing the policy and regulatory framework for environmentally sustainable investments and providing partial credit guarantee schemes to protect small and medium enterprises”, the bank stated.
According to the global bank, it is providing $1.8 billion under IDA to scale up social safety nets across Western and Central Africa in a bid to strengthen social protection measures, recipient registries, cash transfer programmes, and delivery mechanisms to benefit about 40 million people, of which 20 million are Nigerians.
Credit to Nigeria’s private sector rose to N83.26 trillion in June 2026 from N81.04 trillion in May, signifying a positive balance of N2.22 trillion month-on-month.
Year-on-year, the figure represents a nine per cent increase compared with the N76.13 trillion recorded in June 2025. The latest figures come as the CBN continues to balance efforts to control inflation with the need to support economic growth and expand credit to businesses.
The CBN data shows that credit to Nigeria’s private sector increased by approximately 2.74 per cent month-on-month between May and June 2026. Also, the CBN data noted that credit to the government fell slightly to N40.03 trillion from N40.38 trillion. Other assets, net, dropped to N10.76 trillion from N12.63 trillion.
The credit surge signifies sustained growth in lending to businesses and other private-sector borrowers during the month. The rise in private sector credit was recorded alongside an increase in net domestic credit, despite declines in credit to government and other assets.
Further analysis of the report says that compared with June 2025, private sector credit rose by about N7.13 trillion yea-on-year but net domestic credit increased by approximately N1.87 trillion during the month.
The CBN’s relatively tight monetary policy stance notwithstanding, more banks still loaded funds to the private sector within the period. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) held its 306th meeting on July 20 and 21.
The Committee reviewed recent developments in the global and domestic economies, assessed emerging risks to the outlook and considered their implications for monetary policy and retained all rates.
The Committee decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 26.5 per cent; the Standing Facilities Corridor around the MPR at +50/-450 basis points and retain the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for Deposit Money Banks at 45.00 per cent, Merchant Banks at 16.00 per cent, and non-TSA public sector deposits at 75.00 per cent.
The MPC decision means that credit extension in the private sector will likely continue to rise because of rising confidence in the sector and calls by stakeholders for banks to invest in the private scetor instead of government securities.
