The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on the Federal Government to implement social safety nets for poor Nigerians affected by President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
Okonjo-Iweala made the appeal on Thursday after meeting with the president at the Aso Villa in Abuja. While commending Tinubu for reforms such as the petrol subsidy removal and unification of foreign exchange windows, she emphasized the need for measures to cushion vulnerable citizens from the resulting economic hardships.
In a statement to journalists, the WTO chief said: “The President and his team have worked hard to stabilize the economy, and credit must be given for that.
The reforms are in the right direction. What is needed next is growth and social safety nets so that those feeling the pinch of the reforms can have support.”
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu’s reforms have faced criticism, with rising food prices and cost of living prompting protests, including the #EndBadGovernance hunger demonstrations in August 2024.
The meeting with Okonjo-Iweala comes just two weeks before the end of her first term as WTO Director-General on August 31, 2025, ahead of her second term beginning September 1. Okonjo-Iweala made history in 2021 as the first African and first woman to lead the 164-member WTO.
During the meeting, the WTO chief, accompanied by Trade Minister Jumoke Oduwole, also briefed the president on the Women’s Exporters’ Fund for the digital economy.
She explained: “We launched a fund, jointly managed by the WTO and the International Trade Centre, to help women weather economic storms and create jobs.
Nigeria was one of four countries selected globally. Out of 67,000 applicants, 146 Nigerian women won support—16 on the Booster Track for scaling up existing businesses and 100 receiving $5,000 each to start or strengthen enterprises.”
The initiative represents a practical step toward social safety nets while empowering Nigerian women to contribute more actively to the economy.
