Economic experts have offered mixed assessments of the tenure of the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, while outlining priorities for the new minister, Taiwo Oyedele.

The experts spoke in Abuja on Monday.

Oyedele was recently elevated to the position of Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy in a major cabinet reshuffle,

He officially assumed office on April 24, succeeding Edun.

They acknowledged Edun’s efforts at macroeconomic stabilisation, while stressing the need for deeper reforms to sustain growth and ease citizens’ hardship.

A development economist, Dr. Gloria Phillips, said Edun’s tenure was marked by fiscal discipline and improved revenue drive, but noted inflationary pressures remained high.

“Stabilisation policies were evident, but transmission to household welfare was weak,” he said.

Phillips commended the government’s coordination of fiscal and monetary policies during Edun’s period.

She, however, urged the new minister to prioritise exchange rate stability and boost investor confidence.

Simon Audu, an economist, said reforms initiated under Edun laid a foundation for long-term growth.

Audu said that consistency and policy clarity would be critical for the incoming administration.

He said that the business environment improved moderately, while calling for stronger support for small and medium enterprises to drive job creation.

Miss Lydia Emerson, a public finance expert, said that debt management strategies were strengthened during the period.

She urged the new minister to focus on reducing debt servicing costs and expanding non-oil revenue sources.

Emerson also emphasised the need for comprehensive tax reforms to widen the revenue base.

She urged the incoming minister to simplify tax administration and improve compliance.

The experts collectively agreed that the new finance minister must prioritise inflation control, economic diversification, and social protection programmes.

They also stressed the importance of transparency, policy continuity, and inclusive growth to consolidate gains recorded in recent years.

The first female pilot of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nafisat Balogun, has secured a commercial multi-engine pilot licence in the United States of America.

The NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

Maiwada said that following the feat, the Superintendent of Customs was honoured at a ceremony organised by the Nigeria Customs Technical Hangar Service recently.

He said Balogun’s achievement marked a historic milestone as she became the first female pilot in the NCS, a field dominated by men.

He described her resilience, discipline and determination as a motivation for officers to strive for success and leverage new opportunities within the service.

Speaking at the celebration, the Managing Director of the Customs Technical Hangar Service, Captain Kuhi Mbaya, described Balogun’s journey as inspiring and transformative.

Mbaya described her achievement as a pride to the service, noting that the officer rose from being a cabin attendant to a fully-fledged commercial pilot.

“This is a great achievement not only for her but for the entire service,” he said.

Mbaya said that her accomplishment had set a precedent in the service and reflected the evolving opportunities within it.

“For the first time, we now have a female pilot in the NCS. She has set a record and it is important that we celebrate and recognise this milestone,” he said.

He urged women to take Balogun’s accomplishment as a charge to pursue their ambitions in specialised fields without fear, as barriers were being broken for them to thrive.

“This achievement shows that there are no limits. The glass ceiling has been shattered, and with determination and consistency, more women can achieve their dreams,” Mbaya said.

He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs (C-G), Bashir Adeniyi, for his leadership and constant support for gender inclusion within the service.

Responding, Balogun thanked the NCS for believing in her capacity and supporting her to achieve the feat.

She reaffirmed her commitment to discharge her duties diligently and to continue to serve with dedication, integrity and professionalism.

Recall that in 2024, the NCS announced Balogun as making history as the first female pilot in the service, rising from a cabin crew member to a trailblazer in aviation.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has endorsed Nigeria’s ongoing bank recapitalisation drive.

It said that stronger capital buffers are cushioning the financial system against external shocks and strengthening resilience amid intensifying global uncertainties.

Tobias Adrian, Financial Counsellor and Director of the Monetary and Capital Markets Department of the IMF, said this during the Global Financial Stability Report presentation.

He stated this during the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC on Tuesday.

Adrian said that robust fiscal positions remained critical for emerging markets to withstand volatile global capital flows.

He said this would reduce exposure to sudden market reversals, and maintain macroeconomic stability under uncertain financial conditions.

He stressed the growing importance of bank recapitalisation during the periods of heightened financial stress globally.

Adrian said that building a well-capitalised banking sector remained essential to sustaining global financial stability, particularly as economies confront persistent uncertainty.

He also said that tightening financial conditions, and evolving risks across international capital markets was crucial for economic sustenance.

According to him, the benefits of bank recapitalisation become most evident during stress periods, as stronger capital positions enable financial institutions to absorb shocks, sustain lending activities, and support broader economic stability across markets.

Adrian said that ensuring debt sustainability and maintaining stronger fiscal positions are foundational to IMF engagement with countries, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, where tailored programmes address diverse economic challenges and vulnerabilities.

On capital flows to Sub-Saharan Africa, he said: “I have observed the ongoing Middle East conflict have triggered an outsized reaction, with movements roughly twice as large as those recorded during early stages of Ukraine crisis.”

Adrian said that in spite of the significant shifts in capital flow volumes, price reactions have remained relatively contained, reflecting broadly healthy global risk appetite.

He also called for continued investor confidence across financial markets in spite of prevailing geopolitical tensions worldwide.

Jason Wu, Assistant Director in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department at the IMF, said that the capital flows to emerging markets are increasingly driven by debt rather than foreign direct investment and equity.

He said that the raising concern was about long-term financial stability outlook globally.

Wu said that countries with stronger fiscal positions generally enjoy improved access to international markets and lower borrowing costs.

He also underscored the need for sustained fiscal reforms to guard against sudden capital outflows.