Nigeria Eyes Economic Gains As G20 Summit Holds In Africa For The First Time

By ANITA KNIGHT

NIGERIA is positioning itself to tap into fresh global economic opportunities as world leaders gather for the 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa — the first-ever to be hosted on African soil.

Ambassador Bolaji Akinremi, Director of Reform and Foreign Service Innovation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in Abuja on Sunday that Nigeria is prepared to play a strategic role at the landmark meeting.

Akinremi expressed optimism that the summit would “bring hope and fulfillment” to the African continent, particularly in areas of economic reform, debt sustainability, and climate financing.

“The Johannesburg G20 Summit will be the first of its kind to be held in Africa, and that has great significance for us,” Akinremi said.

“Our expectation is that it will be successful and bring tangible progress to Africa’s economic and social development.”

Nigeria’s Role and Expectations

Akinremi explained that Nigeria, alongside the African Union (AU), gained formal recognition as a member of the G20 during the 2023 New Delhi summit. He, however, noted that Nigeria aims to secure independent membership in the coming years, given its position as Africa’s largest economy.

“Nigeria deserves and desires to be a member on its own, not just on the AU platform. We want to see how that unfolds in the coming years,” he stated.

He revealed that Nigeria will host a pre-summit meeting in Abuja, bringing together inter-ministerial bodies, private sector leaders, and development experts — an event he described as evidence of the country’s readiness to contribute meaningfully to the Johannesburg summit.

Key Issues on the Agenda

According to Akinremi, major topics for discussion will include:

• Debt sustainability and strategies for reducing Africa’s debt burden.

• Climate change and climate financing, which could strengthen the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

• Youth engagement and innovation, building on ongoing Nigeria–South Africa youth dialogues.

“Nigeria will be very strong on these issues,” Akinremi emphasized.
“We must ensure we take advantage of every opportunity the G20 platform presents.”

He added that the country’s active engagement would enable it to harness international partnerships and drive sustainable economic growth.

Private Sector Opportunities

Akinremi urged Nigerian entrepreneurs and investors to leverage President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and the G20’s global influence to expand business frontiers.

He described the G20 as a coalition of  “20 powerful and rich nations that shape the direction of the world economy,” saying its outcomes often dictate global investment trends.

“Private sector operators must take advantage of the enabling environment President Tinubu’s policies are creating,” he advised.

“We are all keying behind the President and looking forward to a wonderful outcome from the Johannesburg Summit.”

A Step Toward Global Inclusion

Observers see the 2025 Johannesburg Summit as a turning point for Africa’s representation in global decision-making. With the continent hosting the meeting for the first time, Nigeria hopes to deepen its engagement, attract new investments, and strengthen its influence in shaping international economic policies.

“We expect our involvement in G20 will become stronger and more focused,” Akinremi said.

“Nigeria is ready to identify areas we can champion in collaboration with other nations.”

As preparations intensify, policymakers say Nigeria’s message to the world is clear: Africa’s time on the global economic stage has come — and Nigeria intends to lead from the front.