Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, criticizes Nigerians who attack the World Bank online over its decision to grant loans to Nigeria. He says the reaction reflects a lack of understanding of how the economic and lending systems work.
Oyedele says the online backlash becomes so hostile that the World Bank disables its comment section, while he argues that the loan process has already been secured. Using an ATM analogy, he suggests that people can misjudge fairness and “mobilize” against institutions without understanding how they operate. He also links the issue to Nigeria’s broader push for accountability, saying citizens need the right knowledge to hold government accountable effectively.
He warns that some actors may twist or misrepresent economic data for political messaging. The comments come during a media briefing in Abuja tied to the presentation of Nigeria’s Reform Scorecard, which follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive to publicly show the benefits and costs of economic reforms since 2023.
