'Towards medical efforts' Nigeria missing as IMF approves immediate debt relief for 25 countries

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), an organization that aims to promote global economic growth and financial stability, encourage international trade, and reduce poverty, has approved debt relief for 25 countries with immediate effect.

Recall world leaders, including Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former managing director of the World Bank, have asked the G-20 countries for a $44 billion debt relief for African countries to tackle the novel coronavirus.

In a statement signed by the Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, IMF granted this relief in other to help these countries channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts in the face of the pandemic.

“Today, I am pleased to say that our Executive Board approved immediate debt service relief to 25 of the IMF’s member countries under the IMF’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) as part of the Fund’s response to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts.

“The CCRT can currently provide about US$500 million in grant-based debt service relief, including the recent US$185 million pledge by the U.K. and US$100 million provided by Japan as immediately available resources. Others, including China and the Netherlands, are also stepping forward with important contributions. I urge other donors to help us replenish the Trust’s resources and boost further our ability to provide additional debt service relief for a full two years to our poorest member countries,” she said.

While Nigeria is missing from the list issued recently, Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, and Dominican Republic made it.

Others include The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo, and Yemen.