By Abubakar Yunusa
Nigeria must urgently convert ongoing macroeconomic reforms into real gains for citizens, former Vice President Namadi Sambo warned on Thursday, declaring that the country is “at a pivotal point” as it transitions from 2025 into 2026.
Speaking in Abuja at the launch of the Ignite Nigeria Economic Outlook 2026, Sambo said the period offered “no better time” to reflect on the nation’s future, noting that global volatility and sweeping domestic reforms were reshaping the economic landscape.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for approving 10 additional mobile transmission substations following Siemens’ briefing on new power infrastructure, describing the move as a “critical intervention” to boost investor confidence and strengthen the national grid.
The high-level forum, organised by Ignite Capital Ltd in collaboration with the Abuja Economic Dialogue, brought together policymakers, economists, development partners and private-sector leaders under the theme, Navigating Growth, Capital and Reform.
Sambo cautioned that reforms must now “shift from announcements to implementation, monitoring and strategising,” stressing that Nigerians needed outcomes, not policy headlines.
He said the Outlook identified three possible economic scenarios for 2026: an upside broadband recovery with GDP growth between 4.7 and 5.1 per cent; a baseline scenario of cautious relief; and a downside scenario where poor policy execution or external shocks erode recent progress.
Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, said Nigerians must begin to feel the impact of tough reforms, insisting that the real test was whether subsidy removal, FX reforms and fiscal adjustments would deliver inclusive growth.
“Until Nigerians begin to see lower prices, dependable energy, better schools and hospitals, and dignified work, we are merely adjusting, not advancing,” he added.
Saraki warned that growth without jobs amounted to “arithmetic, not prosperity,” calling for rapid expansion of labour-intensive sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, energy, transport, digital technology and the creative industries.
Convener of the Abuja Economic Dialogue and Chairman of Ignite Capital, Kyari Abba Bukar, said the Dialogue was created to ensure that economic decisions are shaped by data and continuous engagement between government and industry.
He said Abuja was fast becoming the centre of economic conversations, with monthly sessions set to dissect sector-specific themes and their impact on businesses and public institutions.
Bukar emphasised that Nigeria must place the private sector at the heart of development, noting that past reliance on government-dominated activity had slowed productivity and innovation.
The full technical presentation, delivered by President of Pedestal Africa, Dr Paul Arinze, showed Nigeria transitioning from macroeconomic stabilisation to early structural recovery. But he warned that progress would depend on reform consistency, improved power supply, enhanced security in food-producing regions and stronger investor confidence.
Panelists — including Dr Sarah Alade, Dr Umaru Kwairanga, Dr Nurudeen Zauro and Yanmo Omorogbe — stressed the need for consistent policy execution, investment in power and last-mile infrastructure, digital inclusion, SME financing, stronger capital markets and human capital development for an AI-driven global economy.
