2026 strategy targets capital de-risking, investment mobilisation as government eyes $1tn GDP
The Federal Government has announced a major shift in its economic management approach, moving away from direct intervention toward a capital de-risking and private sector–led growth model under its 2026 Growth Acceleration and Investment Mobilisation Strategy.
The new direction was disclosed in a statement issued by the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, who said the strategy is designed to unlock large-scale domestic and foreign investment by lowering risks, eliminating policy distortions, and strengthening execution across key sectors of the economy.
According to the minister, the government is transitioning from a phase of macroeconomic stabilisation to one of sustained economic expansion, with private investment rather than public spending serving as the primary growth engine.
“Our focus is to move decisively from stabilisation to growth,” Uzoka-Anite said. “The reforms underway are designed to reduce risk, unlock private capital, and ensure Nigeria delivers sustainable returns for investors while expanding opportunities for citizens.”
She added that the government’s long-term objective is to scale output, deepen domestic value creation, and place the economy on a credible path toward a $1 trillion Gross Domestic Product, largely by mobilising private capital instead of relying on direct government intervention.
The Ministry of Finance explained that the strategy builds on key reforms implemented over the past two years, including exchange rate unification, energy market restructuring, and fiscal consolidation, marking Nigeria’s formal shift from economic recovery to expansion.
Under the new framework, government involvement will focus on creating a predictable macroeconomic environment, dismantling regulatory bottlenecks and price controls, and deploying blended finance, guarantees, and credit enhancement instruments to crowd in private capital.
The plan adopts a sector-led growth model based on a “willing buyer, willing seller” approach, with market access restrictions and price controls set to be removed to encourage capital inflows and entrepreneurship.
Priority sectors identified include energy and gas-based industrialisation, agribusiness, manufacturing, housing and urban infrastructure, healthcare, digital services, creative industries, logistics, and solid minerals.
The government also outlined a central role for Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in executing the strategy. Institutions such as the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) are expected to anchor financing, share risks, and mobilise long-term capital across the priority sectors.
The ministry disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Finance will assume development finance coordination responsibilities previously handled by the Central Bank of Nigeria, and will issue new guidelines to support a forward-looking development finance framework.
According to the government, Nigeria will require an estimated ₦246 trillion in long-term capital through 2036 to meet its growth ambitions, making DFIs critical partners in de-risking investments, restoring investor confidence, and mobilising private capital at scale.
Uzoka-Anite said the government plans to strengthen DFIs through improved capitalisation, governance and mandate reforms, expanded risk-sharing powers, and closer alignment with the Ministry of Finance, including access to treasury support and sovereign guarantees where applicable.
She added that the government will continue working with bilateral, multilateral, and regional DFIs to deploy risk-mitigating capital, accelerate project execution, mobilise private investment through blended finance structures, and strengthen delivery capacity across federal and sub-national institutions.
The Federal Government also announced plans to deepen financial inclusion and consumer credit, working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, commercial banks, microfinance institutions, fintech firms, and credit guarantee schemes to expand access to affordable credit.
Uzoka-Anite said widening access to responsible consumer credit for households, microenterprises, and the informal sector will help stimulate domestic demand, boost productivity, and ensure that economic reforms translate into tangible welfare gains.
She noted that special attention would be given to first-time borrowers, women- and youth-led businesses, and underserved communities, with the goal of building a scalable, non-inflationary, and sustainable credit ecosystem.
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