The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has projected a strong economic performance for Nigeria in 2026, attributing the outlook to a new economic model introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Omoniyi Akinsiju, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, the think tank projected that Nigeria’s economy would grow by 5.5 percent in 2026, exceeding forecasts by both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The statement partly reads:
“We made it clear in that statement that the Nigerian economy under the current administration had engendered a paradigm shift from perennial dependency on crude oil earnings to policy-driven economic facilitation.
This refers to the deliberate use of governmental policies, regulations, and institutional frameworks to reduce obstacles, lower costs, and accelerate economic activities, particularly in trade and investment.
The facilitation, in this context, aims to foster sustainable, inclusive growth by improving efficiency and reducing red tape.”
IMPI noted that the IMF had recently revised its outlook for Nigeria, describing the change as a significant turnaround from its earlier position.
“Seven months after a questionable projection by the IMF, we have seen a volte-face. The IMF now speaks of a resurgent Nigerian economy, reflecting a revised 4.4 percent projected growth for 2026.
This is the highest GDP growth projection by IMF over the last 17 years, a real expression of confidence in the Nigerian economy.”
The think tank also cited a growing consensus among domestic and international economic observers, which it linked to the economic framework of the Tinubu administration.
“Beyond the IMF’s new GDP projection, we have observed a consensus around a higher than 4 percent economic growth expectation for Nigeria by virtually all known individual and public economic commentators.
While the Nigerian government projected 4.68 percent growth in 2026, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) projected 7 percent—1.5 percent higher than the Nigeria Economic Summit Group’s 5.5 percent forecast. PwC projected 4.3 percent growth conditional on higher oil prices, while the World Bank revised its earlier 3.7 percent projection to 4.4 percent.
The aggregation of these positive forecasts by domestic and global players points to an emerging economic paradigm emphasizing **increased production and productivity, foreign exchange stability, disinflation, increased foreign direct investment, and a streamlined regulatory environment anchored in policy-driven economic facilitation.”
IMPI’s outlook underscores optimism that 2026 could be a standout year for Nigeria’s economic growth, driven by strategic policy reforms and enhanced investment confidence.
