Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings in Washington, DC, United States, following the illness of Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on information and strategy, confirmed that Edun is “indisposed.”
Sources told TheCable that Edun remains in Nigeria but may be flown abroad for further medical treatment.
According to Onanuga, the Nigerian delegation will include Doris Uzoka-Anite, the minister of state for finance, and other top government officials.
The meetings officially open on Monday.
Onanuga added that the World Bank announced key highlights of the annual meetings, including the Development Committee plenary session on October 16 and the International Monetary and Financial Committee meetings on October 17.
He said the events will also feature “regional briefings, press conferences, and fora focused on international development, the global economy, and financial markets.”
In its Nigeria Development Update (NDU) report released on October 8, the World Bank urged the federal government to conduct an audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, and to raise health taxes as well as the value-added tax (VAT).
The global lender further advised Nigeria to ensure that the “gains from recent macroeconomic reforms translate into tangible improvements in the living standards of citizens.”