IMF urges Tinubu’s government to adjust budget and scale up support for the vulnerable.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Nigeria to recalibrate its 2025 budget, noting that the assumption of a $75-per-barrel oil price is no longer realistic amid global market declines, currently around $68 per barrel.
The Fund emphasized the need for expanded cash transfer programmes to shield the poorest Nigerians from food insecurity and economic hardship. It highlighted that current poverty levels demand urgent fiscal adjustment and targeted intervention.
IMF projections estimate Nigeria's GDP growth at 3.4% in 2025 and 3.2% in 2026, but warned that inflation remains persistently high. The agency called for fiscal discipline and progressive social spending to mitigate worsening inequality and hunger.
The comments come amid rising public frustration with inflation, unemployment, and food scarcity. Analysts warn that without policy flexibility and social welfare expansion, political discontent may intensify.
I'm Adedayo Obadina
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