Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has criticised Nigerians who attacked the World Bank on social media over its decision to give loans to Nigeria.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Oyedele said the backlash showed that many people did not understand how the system works.
He revealed that the negative comments forced the World Bank to disable its comment section, but said the loan had already been secured.
Oyedele used an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to explain his point. He said people who do not understand how the system works could wrongly see it as unfair and mobilise against it.
“After breaking the bank and the ATM and beating people up, they still can’t collect money ’cause that’s not how the system works,” he said.
He stressed that Nigerians need the right information to properly hold the government accountable.
“Part of your ability to hold government to account is having the right knowledge. If you don’t, you’re wasting your energy,” he added.
Oyedele also warned against using economic data for political purposes, saying some people could twist reform scorecard figures to fit campaign messages.
The briefing at the Federal Ministry of Finance included the presentation of Nigeria’s Reform Scorecard. It followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for public accountability on the benefits and costs of economic reforms since 2023.
