G20 Seoul Summit and Nigeria

In Seoul, capital city of South Korea the leaders of G20 nations will soon gather again for an important summit. G20 is powerful group of developed and emerging economies that dominate the global economic scene and have a lion share of 95 percent of the world economy. The fundamental purpose of the group is to stabilize the world economy. Without doubt G20 is the place to be and any important nation missing in the action will definitely felt the financial and economic ramifications.

 

Nigeria for all the encompassing reasons should have been the permanent member of the group. But due to her prior devastating political-economic structural imbalances she was inhibited from not making the membership at the inception of the group. Intrinsically, things are gradually but steadily changing in the country and Nigeria is making progress that must be appreciated. Democratic capitalism is taking holds in the country; the politics of military dictatorship has given away to democratic pluralism. Economic strangulation by collectivism and centralization has been reformed and economic opportunity is becoming reachable. Nigeria is heading towards a right direction but she is not yet home free.

 

Even with the accumulative progress Nigeria is still not invited as a permanent member as the “Twenty world leaders come together in Seoul this November to discuss the state of the global economy as it emerges from the financial crisis. Together, they will take the necessary steps to reduce market volatility and move past the crisis, creating sustainable growth going forward.”

 

The government of the President Goodluck Jonathan is steadily rising to the occasion of protection of lives and property. By no means one cannot  boast that Nigeria is a perfect nation. One thing for sure Nigeria as a nation has begun to make the serious decision and showing signs that she is willing to make changes –  to make life better and livable in the second largest economy in Africa and the most populous country in the continent.

 

President Goodluck Jonathan is making a progress that should be encouraged and nurtured. The government of Nigeria under his leadership is making practical plans to have a free and fair election in 2011. He is making effort in turning around paucity of energy in Nigerian industrial landscape. The major vulnerability of Nigeria’s economy is insufficient electric power supply which has hampered maximum economic output and industrialization. Recently, a large resource was set aside to revamp electric energy supply coupled with privatization proposal. We can say for sure that Nigeria is moving in the right direction.     

 

The principal global economic powers especially United States and China are highly committed to financial global stabilization inorder to enhance trade and commerce with modest inflation and deficits. They should recognize the importance of Nigerian active participation on economic global scene as a full member of G20. Nigeria has a bulging GDP and is a major supply of oil. Therefore Nigeria as an acceptable economic powerhouse can aid to stabilize Africa in general and the West Africa sub-region in particular.

 

Nigeria is making a substantial move to address her structural imbalances in the area of economics and politics; the admission into G20 will booster her confidence as she strives to better her Scio-economic and political standing in the world. Africa needs Nigeria to make it and a responsible and successful Nigeria, will impact positively to Africa.

 

Nigerian economy is growing steadily at 7.3 percent in second quarter of 2010 and is being projected to grow to 10 percent in 2011. The Nigerian GDP was about $207 Billion in 2008 and foreign debt-to-GDP ratio is estimated at about 3.1 percent. With a sustainable debt and one of lowest debt-to-GDP in the world, Nigeria is poise for tremendous growth in near future.

Nigeria does not necessarily have to lobby to be admitted to G20 but she must made her case to the august body and reminds everybody that a stable and economically growing Nigeria will contribute immensely to the stability of the global economy.

 

Most importantly, President Jonathan must be encouraged in his challenging goal to improve the lot of the country. The best thing that the rest of the great emerging powerful economies including China, India, Brazil and South Africa could do are to play a vital role in making the permanent membership of Nigeria to G20 possible.

 

Nigerian economy is growing at a fast pace. This year at the tail end of second quarter the economy is growing at the rate 7.3 percent compared to the global sluggish and anemic growth. “According to forecasts by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), global economic growth this year will be 4.6 percent compared to 3.4 percent forecasted by the organization earlier. In 2011, the OECD expects growth in the global economy at 4.5 percent compared to 3.7 percent projected earlier. Faster recovery of the global economy takes place at the expense of economic growth in Asia. In particular, China’s GDP growth is projected at the level of 11.1 percent this year."

 

Econometric forecasting "provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), global economic growth will amount to 4.2 percent this year.”  And Nigeria is projected to grow at 10 percent in 2010 and preceding year. This is keeping Nigeria in a good company of one of the fasted growing economies in the world.

 

For the concerted and coordinated global economic growth and financial stabilization, the G20 cannot afford to overlook the importance of Nigeria. As an emerging economy and leader in the continent of Africa, Nigeria is a resourceful nation. Nigeria needs a permanent seat at the table where economic and financial decisions affecting Nigeria and Africa are made.

 

Emeka Chiakwelu is the Principal Policy Strategist at Afripol Organization. Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa. http://afripol.org/