RismadarVoice Reporters
May 15, 2026
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced plans to send a technical mission to Nigeria to explore large-scale investment opportunities in key sectors including livestock, energy, and housing.
The Managing Director of the IFC, Makhtar Diop, disclosed this on Thursday in Kigali, Rwanda, during a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the sidelines of the 13th Africa CEO Summit.
Diop said the mission would focus on developing scalable investment frameworks capable of attracting private capital into critical sectors of the Nigerian economy.
He led a delegation comprising Ethiopis Tafara, IFC Regional Vice President for Africa, and Dahlia Khalifa, Director for Central Africa and Nigeria.
According to him, the IFC is particularly interested in deepening collaboration with Nigeria in areas such as energy expansion, affordable housing, and livestock production value chains.
He commended President Tinubu for implementing what he described as bold and necessary economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of Nigeria’s exchange rate.
Diop described Nigeria’s reform direction as courageous and transformative, adding that it had sent strong signals to global investors about the country’s commitment to economic restructuring.
“President Tinubu, you have been so courageous in removing the subsidy. When you did it, I said to myself, President Tinubu took the bull by the horns,” he was quoted as saying.
In his remarks, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to attracting private capital for sustainable development, stressing the need for stronger institutional frameworks to support infrastructure financing.
He called for the mobilisation of African pension funds and institutional investors as strategic drivers of development finance for infrastructure, energy transition, and industrial growth across the continent.
Tinubu also emphasised the importance of decentralised energy systems and improved transmission infrastructure as key enablers of industrialisation and private sector participation.
He noted that bridging Africa’s infrastructure funding gap would require stronger collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and private investors.
“If you want Africa to leapfrog, then energy transmission and decentralisation are important. The funding gap is there, and we must work together,” the President said.
The meeting also explored innovative financing mechanisms, including local currency funding structures, swap arrangements, and expanded roles for African financial institutions in cross-border investments.
Diop further highlighted the role of banking partnerships, including Nigerian institutions such as Access Bank, in strengthening regional financial integration and easing intra-African trade.
He described the collaboration as part of a broader vision for an “African Renaissance” anchored on strong institutions, regional economic champions, and sustainable development partnerships across the continent.
