The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards repositioning Nigeria’s economy, as the Economic Management Team (EMT) convened to assess Nigeria’s trade strategy, investment climate, and infrastructure planning. 

The session which was Chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr Wale Edun today in his office in Abuja underscored the government’s commitment to positioning Nigeria as a competitive, investor-friendly economy through coordinated policy reforms and diplomatic engagement.

A central feature of the meeting was a detailed presentation by the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, who outlined the Ministry’s current priorities. These include improving investor retention, accelerating export diversification, and addressing regulatory inefficiencies that hinder private sector growth. 

Of particular focus was Nigeria’s ongoing engagement with the United States following the recent proposal by the U.S. Trade Representative to impose a 14% tariff on Nigerian exports. The EMT reviewed the legal and commercial context surrounding this development, as well as Nigeria’s Diplomatic outreach to Washington and multilateral discussions held during the U.S.-Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan.

In parallel, the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, presented his Ministry’s updated budget framework and infrastructure priorities. These include logistics upgrades and project pipelines aimed at reducing bottlenecks and enhancing Nigeria’s trade facilitation capacity.

The EMT reaffirmed its collective resolve to implement transparent, market-led reforms that support private sector expansion, boost non-oil exports, and deliver sustainable growth across the Nigerian economy.

In his closing remarks, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, emphasized the importance of cross-ministerial coordination, stating: 

*Now is the time for unified action. By aligning our trade posture with global best practice and ensuring policy consistency, we can unlock greater opportunities for businesses and deepen investor confidence in Nigeria*

With unified action and coordinated policy reforms, Nigeria is poised for a brighter economic future.

The Federal Government has called on capital market operators in the country to deepen investor confidence, improve financial literacy, and prepare for the implementation of ISA 2025 and a new Capital Market Master Plan (CMMP 2030) 

The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr Wale Edun made the call today at the 2025 First Capital Market Committee (CMC) Meeting hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

 Represented by the Honourable Minister of State for Finance Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, HM Edun underscored the strategic role of Nigeria’s capital market in achieving the Federal Government’s ambition of transitioning into a $1 trillion economy within the next decade. 

He emphasised that the capital market must become the primary engine for mobilising long-term finance across critical sectors such as infrastructure, housing, manufacturing, technology, and energy.

*This vision is overdue. Nigeria had the potential to reach this milestone 20 years ago,* he declared. *With the reforms we’ve undertaken, including fuel subsidy removal, FX harmonisation, and tightening of the fiscal framework, the foundation is now set for private capital to power growth.*

The Minister commended the passage of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, describing it as a landmark reform that modernises Nigeria’s regulatory environment to reflect global best practices.

 Highlighting the challenges of capital absorption and exit pathways, HM Edun stressed the need for robust frameworks to ensure that foreign and domestic capital can not only be attracted but also exited seamlessly.

 *The real question we must ask is: If a billion-dollar investment enters this market, do we have the structure for it to exit smoothly? Until we can answer that, we can’t claim the market is truly ready.*

 He called on market participants to go beyond capital raising and position the market as a genuine tool for wealth creation and inclusive development, while also advocating for the establishment of a Market Literacy Fund that is committed to supporting the SEC’s open-door policy. The Minister challenged stakeholders to catalyse a transparent and predictable investment environment and also encouraged stakeholders to rise to the occasion:

 *We’ve done the reforms. The time has come to implement. Let us build a rule-based, resilient market that unlocks growth for all Nigerians,* he emphasized

Speaking earlier, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr. Emomotimi Agama lauded the enactment of the ISA 2025 and outlined the Commission’s commitment to investor protection, digital innovation, and capital mobilisation. 

He highlighted a strong 2024 performance across asset classes, with the NGX All-Share Index gaining 37.65%, market capitalisation surpassing ₦62 trillion, and debt markets recording ₦460.55 trillion in turnover 

Notably, he confirmed the SEC’s ongoing collaboration with other agencies to streamline recapitalisation, deepen SME access to markets, and enhance transparency through technology upgrades. 

Dr. Agama reiterated SEC’s readiness to implement the ISA 2025, unveil the 2030 CMMP, and support Nigeria’s exit from the FATF grey list through strengthened AML/CFT compliance and market integrity reforms.

The 2025 CMC Meeting brought together a wide array of stakeholders across the financial ecosystem, including representatives from NGX, NASD, FMDQ, AFEX, CSCS, LCFE, NG Clearing, PCX, and GCMX, as well public sector institutions such as the CBN, DMO, FIRS, and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. The meeting also marked the official launch of the new SEC corporate website and the ISA 2025 Handbook.

With the Federal Government’s renewed focus on capital market development and the implementation of the ISA 2025 and CMMP 2030, Nigeria’s financial sector is poised for significant growth and transformation. As stakeholders work together to build a robust and resilient market, the prospects for a $1 trillion economy within the next decade look increasingly promising.

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), at its May 2025 meeting chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, shared a total sum of N1. 681Trillion to the three tiers of government as Federation Allocation for the month of April 2025 from a gross total of N2.848 Trillion.

From the stated amount inclusive of Gross Statutory Revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT), Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and Exchange Difference, the Federal Government received N565.307 Billion, the States received N556.741 Billion, the Local Government Councils got N406.627 Billion, while the Oil Producing States received N152.553 Billion as Derivation, (13% of Mineral Revenue).

The sum of N101.051 Billion was given for the cost of collection, while N1.066 Trillion was allocated for Transfers Intervention and Refunds.

The Communique issued by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) at the end of the meeting indicated that the Gross Revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) for the month of April 2025, was N642.265 Billion as against N637.618 Billion distributed in the precee ding month, resulting in an increase of N4.647 Billion.

From that amount, the sum of N25.691Billion was allocated for the cost of collection and the sum of N18.497 Billion given for Transfers, Intervention and Refunds. The remaining sum of N598.077 Billion was distributed  to the three tiers of government, of which the Federal Government got N89.712 Billion, the States received N299.039 Billion and Local Government Councils got N209.327 Billion.

Accordingly, the Gross Statutory Revenue of N2.084 Trillion received for the month was higher than the sum of N1.718 Trillion received in the previous month by N365.595 Billion. From the stated amount, the sum of N73.741 Billion was allocated for the cost of collection and a total sum of N1.047 Trillion for Transfers, Intervention and Refunds.

The remaining  balance of  N962.882 Billion was distributed as follows to the three tiers of government: Federal Government got the sum of N431.307 Billion, States received N218.765 Billion, the sum of N168.659 Billion was allocated to LGCs and N144.151 Billion was given to Derivation Revenue (13% Mineral producing States).

Also, out of the sum of N40.481 Billion from  Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), the sum of N38.862 Billion was distributed to the three (3) tiers of government as follows: the Federal Government received N5.829 Billion, States got N19.431 Billion, Local Government Councils received N13.602 Billion. The remaining balance of N1.619 Billion was allocated for Cost of Collection.

The Communique also mentioned the sum of N81.407 Billion from Exchange Difference which was distributed to the three tiers of Government as follows: Federal government got N38.459 Billion, the State received N19.507 Billion, the LGCs got N15.039 Billion, while the Oil producing States received N8.402 Billion.

Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Oil and Gas Royalty, Value Added Tax (VAT), Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), Excise Duty, Import Duty and CET Levies increased significantly, while Company Income Tax (CIT) recorded a decrease.

According to the Communique, the total revenue distributable for the current month of April 2025, was drawn from Statutory Revenue of N962.882 Billion, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N598.077 Billion, N38.862 Billion from Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and the sum of N81.407 Billion from Exchange Difference, bringing the total distributable amount for the month to N1.681Trillion.

Ealier in his opening remarks, the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, emphasized that domestic revenue mobilisation is a critical component of Nigeria’s long-term path to sustainable development financing.

He thanked the Federation Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) for their resilience in the discharge of their duties