The World Trade Organization’s Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has criticized politicians for exploiting the nation’s instability for their own political gain. She highlighted how political leaders’ policies significantly influenced the country’s current state during a keynote speech at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2024 Annual General Conference.
The former finance minister underlined in her speech titled “A Social Contract for Nigeria’s Future” that sufficient security is a prerequisite for sustained growth. She drew attention to the alarming fact that political players frequently take advantage of instability to discredit their rivals and give the appearance of inept governance, regardless of the damage that is done to innocent people’s lives and property in the process. Okonjo-Iweala demanded a stop to the political abuse of security concerns.
She also discussed the effect that pervasive theft of crude oil has on the stability of the national economy, pointing out that this kind of crime seriously jeopardises the country’s financial stability. Okonjo-Iweala emphasised that there should be no justifications for not taking action against these crimes, pointing out that technical improvements today make it able to trace and manage oil theft effectively. She firmly demanded action to stop future losses and declared that the theft of national assets is intolerable and needs to end.
