World Bank Managing Director Anna Bjerde begins a Nigeria visit to support reforms, job creation, energy access, and private sector-led growth
World Bank Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde, is in Nigeria for a three-day visit beginning 1 February 2026, aimed at deepening engagement on economic growth and job creation.
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According to a statement issued by the World Bank on Sunday, the visit will focus on how the World Bank Group can best support Nigeria’s reform agenda and inform its forthcoming Country Partnership Framework.
The new strategy prioritises jobs, energy access, and private sector-led growth.
Ms Bjerde is scheduled to meet senior government officials, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives to gather feedback on improving the enabling environment, unleashing human capital, building resilience, and maximising private capital.
The visit will also highlight Nigeria’s role in global development initiatives, including Mission 300, a joint programme by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank aiming to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
Under this initiative, Nigeria’s Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme is expected to provide household energy access to 17.5 million people via mini-grids and solar home systems.
Discussions will also cover progress on digital connectivity, power sector reforms, social protection, human capital outcomes, and AgriConnect, a programme designed to make smallholder farming a commercially viable source of jobs, income, and food security.
During her visit, Ms Bjerde will meet Vice President Kashim Shettima; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso; and Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
She will be accompanied by Ousmane Diagana, Vice President for Western and Central Africa at the World Bank; Ethiopis Tafara, Vice President for Africa at the International Finance Corporation; and Ed Mountfield, Vice President at the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.
The World Bank’s active portfolio in Nigeria exceeds $16bn, spanning education, health, social protection, energy, and infrastructure, alongside policy advisory and institutional support.
The IFC’s investment portfolio in the country stands at over $1.2bn, focusing on diversified growth, inclusion, sustainability, and job creation in energy, finance, agribusiness, and manufacturing.
As of June 30, 2025, Nigeria’s external debt totalled $46.98bn, with the World Bank Group accounting for $19.39bn, representing 41.3 per cent of the total.
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This underscores the bank’s dominant role as a financier of Nigeria’s development initiatives.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
