President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement signed by the Presidential spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adesina and made available to the media at the unveiling of Nigeria’s Central Bank Digital Currency, the E-Naira, said that the new digital currency has the potential to increase Nigeria’s GDP by $29 billion over the next 10 years.
The President reiterated that the launch of the E-Naira makes Nigeria the first country in Africa and one of the first few countries in the world to launch a digital currency. He further said he expects the currency to enable the government to send direct payments to citizens eligible for government welfare programs as well as foster cross-border trade and assist in moving many more people and businesses from the informal sector into the formal sector, therefore, increasing the tax base of the country.
The President then congratulated the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, his deputies, and the entire team of staff who worked tirelessly to make the launch of the currency a reality.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), the approved body for operating digital communications of the Presidency, said that Nigeria will surpass the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) projections of 2.6 percent economic growth in 2021 and 2.7 percent growth in 2022. The Group believes under President Buhari, the non-oil sector is progressing and this can be seen in the sector’s contribution to the GDP of Nigeria.
Mr. Niyi Akinsiju, the chairman of the organization, and Mr. Cassidy Madueke said this in a statement in Abuja. The full statement given by the organization said ” This is not the first time that the IMF is making such projections, but Nigeria never ceases to disappoint it by recording higher economic growth. In 2019, IMF projected a 2.1 percent economic growth for Nigeria, but against its prediction, Nigeria recorded real growth of 2.27 percent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The statement further said “In a like manner in 2021, the IMF also projected that Nigeria’s economy would fall by 5.4 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It later reversed its projection to 4.3 percent, but contrary to that, Nigeria recorded 1.8 percent.