By Sandra Kenneth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on the Federal Government to implement temporary, targeted cash transfers and income support to protect vulnerable households from soaring living costs.
The recommendation forms part of the IMF’s October 2026 World Economic Outlook (WEO), released on the sidelines of the ongoing Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand.
According to the Fund, direct intervention is critical to mitigating the severe impact of poverty and tightening food security, even as macroeconomic pressures persist.
Balancing Inflation and Growth
Addressing monetary policy, the IMF urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to navigate ongoing economic shocks while keeping its eyes fixed on medium-term targets. The Fund stressed that monetary authorities must steer inflation back to its policy-targeted threshold within a two-to-three-year horizon.