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Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said on Monday urged the Central Bank to lower interest rates so that the government can borrow domestically to boost the economy, which is stuck in recession, without increasing its debt-servicing costs.
Adeosun said she is working with the debt office, Nigeria's sovereign wealth fund and the pension industry to issue an infrastructure bond to raise money for road and housing projects, although she did not elaborate.
She said she wanted the central bank to reconsider its July interest rate hike, which it implemented to help support the naira and attract foreign investment inflows.
The central bank, which is independent of the government, is due to announce its rate decision on Tuesday.
"We need lower interest rates because when we are borrowing and interest rates go up, it increases our cost of debt service and it reduces the amount of money that is available to spend on capital projects," she told CNBC Africa.
RECOMMENDED: Nigerians, Investors Await Outcome of Central Bank’s MPC Meeting
- Reuters
Adeosun said she is working with the debt office, Nigeria's sovereign wealth fund and the pension industry to issue an infrastructure bond to raise money for road and housing projects, although she did not elaborate.
She said she wanted the central bank to reconsider its July interest rate hike, which it implemented to help support the naira and attract foreign investment inflows.
The central bank, which is independent of the government, is due to announce its rate decision on Tuesday.
"We need lower interest rates because when we are borrowing and interest rates go up, it increases our cost of debt service and it reduces the amount of money that is available to spend on capital projects," she told CNBC Africa.
RECOMMENDED: Nigerians, Investors Await Outcome of Central Bank’s MPC Meeting
- Reuters
