UN deputy chief Amina Mohammed urges Nigerians to boost investor confidence

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has urged Nigerians to communicate the country’s economic reforms and development potential with greater confidence, saying domestic perceptions can influence international investor confidence.

Mohammed spoke during a fireside chat titled “Africa’s Next Development Frontier: Inclusive Growth, Resilience, and Human Dignity” at the 2026 Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) in Abuja.

She acknowledged public frustration over decades of economic policy discussions and questioned why Nigeria had yet to fully realise its development potential.

“We have also had the feeling that we’ve been here before—that in Nigeria, we have been talking about these things for decades,” Mohammed said.

“Everyone is asking: ‘So, what’s different? How much more grammar are we going to talk?’ I believe that we also have to ask ourselves: ‘What are we getting wrong? What is it that is not enabling us to reach those potentials that we say we have?’”

Amina Mohammed Calls for a Shift in Nigeria’s Economic Narrative

The former Nigerian Minister of Environment acknowledged the structural challenges limiting economic growth but urged citizens and business leaders to recognise progress while continuing to push for improvements.

She argued that excessive pessimism about Nigeria’s prospects could undermine efforts to attract foreign direct investment.

“Let us consistently talk about the glass that is partially full,” she said. “We might disagree on whether it is half-full, a quarter-full, or whatever it may be, but it has been filled, and we must continue to work towards filling it completely.”

Mohammed said international markets were monitoring Nigeria’s fiscal and structural reforms, adding that the signals Nigerians send to the outside world could influence how investors perceive the country.

“Why is that? Because we Nigerians are the greatest critics of ourselves,” she noted.

“The narrative and the signals that we send outside of this room are important. If we don’t have belief and confidence in ourselves—in spite of the things that may not be right—then the markets are not going to have confidence either. We have to be the first confidence-builders of this nation.”

UN Deputy Chief Stresses Inclusive Growth and Resilience

Mohammed also stressed that sustainable development must be built on inclusive economic growth, resilience and human dignity.

She urged policymakers to complement market-driven economic reforms with robust social safety nets to ensure that development benefits reach vulnerable populations.

Her remarks came as the annual Nigerian Economic Summit brought together public sector leaders, private investors and policy experts to discuss the country’s economic future.

The discussions highlighted the importance of communicating Nigeria’s development potential while addressing structural challenges and ensuring accountability in the implementation of economic reforms.

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