Nigeria is positioning itself as a leading voice for emerging economies in the push to reform the global financial system, using the platform of the 2025 United Nations Meetings in New York to call for bold changes in how international finance works.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government at a Special High-Level Meeting involving the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, urged world leaders to rethink the rules that govern debt, development financing, and access to global resources.
She advocated for the reallocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to support vulnerable countries, UN-led frameworks for sovereign debt restructuring, and a development-focused global financial architecture that leaves no nation behind.
“Countries like Nigeria are undertaking deep and difficult reforms,” Uzoka-Anite said. “But reform must be met with reform. The global system must evolve to reward progress, not punish it.”
The Minister’s remarks reflect a broader shift in Nigeria’s foreign economic policy—from being a recipient of global financial decisions to actively shaping them. Her intervention builds on Nigeria’s recent domestic momentum, including macroeconomic reforms and re-engagement with global financial institutions.
Analysts say the country’s new posture could influence global debates on fairer financing models, especially as more developing nations face debt pressures and limited access to concessional funding.
By advocating for structural change, Nigeria is not only pressing for better terms for itself but also signaling solidarity with the wider Global South.
As the international community grapples with rising inequality and economic volatility, Nigeria’s voice is growing louder—calling not just for inclusion, but for transformation.