Buhari is doing well, says World Bank chief

President Muhammadu Buhari has been commended for his successes in the anti-graft war and the counterinsurgency operations in the north-east.

Sri Indrawati, managing director and chief operating officer of the World Bank, also commended the president for his determination to create jobs and eradicate poverty.

She described them as “very commendable goals” and pledged to support Nigeria’s policies ‎towards strengthening its economy.

Indrawati was speaking on Wednesday after meeting with Buhari.

“We would like to know how we can help Nigeria to make the very ‎important decisions, whether on micro economic policies and other sectoral policies that will make this economy to move forward to become a strong middle-income country to have a much more inclusive growth, to have a vibrant economic activity and creating job and eradicating poverty,” she said.

Indrawati, who was visiting the country for the first time, said the Nigerian economy, like many other countries in the world, is now “facing weak global economy, low commodity prices, challenges of climate change and insecurity”.

“We discussed about the agricultural sector, ‎infrastructure, but also the need to pursue and continue doing a very difficult reform,” said the Indonesian economist who is responsible for the World Bank’s operations worldwide.

“The president has a very heavy attention on infrastructure and ‎agriculture, that is one area we would also like to support with our own ideas by the private sector arm of the world bank.

“We also discussed more in terms of the need to diversify the economy away from oil. We also discussed on how to improve the fiscal side with the minister of finance under her leadership and try to improve on the revenue side, whether to improve collection tax as well as to fight against inefficiency and corruption.

“We also discussed on how to support the management of natural resources, especially the oil, which I think Nigeria has its own reform agenda to improve the governance and management of the oil sector.

“I think that is an important goal which is being launched by the Federal Government. That is the area that I think we would like to support in any way we could so that it can be delivered, in terms of a healthy sector, good governance as well as effectively supporting the need of the people and the economy.”