Follow TheCable as Zainab Ahmed replaces Adeosun at 2018 IMF/WBG meetings

After echoes from the 2018 Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group advising countries to invest in human capital, world leaders and economic experts have gathered again to discuss ways of helping countries build a forte.

Countries across the world are looking to build forte against natural disasters and financial crisis.

The business and finance world will converge in Bali, Indonesia between October 8 and 14 to help countries chart a path to better trade relations, reduced gender inequality gap and global prosperity.

For Nigeria, all eyes will be on Zainab Ahmed, newly appointed minister of finance, as she introduces herself to the global finance world and steps in her predecessor’s — Kemi Adeosun — shoes.

Interestingly, there is no Nigerian on the list of scheduled events at the conference.

Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president will be making an appearance at an event that will hold on the sidelines of the meeting.

Other people who will be flying Nigeria’s flag are Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and his team; Udoma Udo Udoma, minister of budget and national planning; Mary Uduk, director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and Patience Oniha, director general of the Debt Management Office (DMO).

TheCable’s Oluseyi Awojulugbe is in Bali, Indonesia, to bring you all the details from the most anticipated meeting of finance and socio-economic experts in the world.

Here is a breakdown of scheduled activities:

October 9

The World Economic Outlook, where the Bretton Wood institution announces its projections of Nigeria’s GDP growth in 2018 and 2019 was unveiled on Tuesday.

Later on Tuesday, there was an analysis on seizing the opportunity of capital flows into sub-Saharan Africa.

October 10

On Wednesday, there will be discussions about the efficiency of public investments in Sub-Saharan African countries.

In a session titled, Unexpected Leaders& Highlights in Beneficial Ownership Transparency Progress, civil society forums will discuss the progress made with beneficial ownership.

Zainab Ahmed will also hold meetings with Afrieximbank and later on meet with Fitch, Moody’s and Standard and Poor (S&P) in different sessions while Emefiele will attend a meeting with Commonwealth central bank governors.

There will also be a symposium on Islamic Infrastructure Finance.

October 11

On Thursday, the World Bank will have its opening press conference while Christine Lagarde, IMF MD, will brief the press on the deliberations so far.

There will also be a Fintech talk on how new technologies disrupt financial access and how digitization can be used to improve wealth distribution and how new technologies can disrupt financial access.

There will also be a discussion on how countries can boost revenue mobilization through tax administration.

Nigeria’s minister of finance will join other Commonwealth finance ministers to discuss how countries can enhance their capacity to reduce disaster risk and later attend an investors forum.

October 12

On Friday, there will be a civil society forum discussion on fighting corruption in the extractives and natural sector.

The minister will also hold a meeting with Bill Winters, the chief executive officer of Standard Chartered. Ahmed, together with Udoma, minister of budget and national planning, DMO DG and CBN governor, will meet delegates from European Investment Bank.

October 13

On Saturday, World Bank officials will discuss how to boost productivity in Africa. African finance ministers will also brief journalists on the outcome of their briefing.

Ahmed will meet with Lindy Cameron, DFID’s DG for Country Programme.

October 14

On Sunday, the minister of finance and Central Bank of Nigeria governor will brief Nigerian journalists on the agreements reached.

The duo will then go on to attend the African caucus meeting with Christine Lagarde and Jim Kim, the World Bank president.