The International Monetary Fund has raised its growth forecast for Nigeria to 4.2 per cent for 2026 and projected 4.3 per cent for 2027. It also warned that rising prices for food and other essentials could push more Nigerians into poverty and deepen food insecurity.
The Fund has called for temporary cash support for poor households and urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to work towards controlling inflation.
The message is clear. Growth figures mean little if ordinary families cannot afford food, school fees, transport or healthcare. Many Nigerians may hear that the economy is growing while their daily experience says something different.
Any cash support programme must be open and properly monitored. Government should publish who qualifies, how beneficiaries are selected and how the money reaches them. Support meant for the poor must not become another opportunity for politically connected people to benefit.
Nigerians should watch food prices, the value of the naira, fuel supply and any new plan to protect vulnerable households. The success of economic policy should be measured by the life people live, not only by numbers released in reports.
By Viewers Corner News