Christine Lagarde
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, would visit Nigeria next week to hold series of meetings with the Nigerian leadership, the organisation said in a statement issued on Monday.
Lagarde, who will be visiting Nigeria and Niger Rebublic between December 18 and 22 - her first trip to Africa since she became IMF boss in July - is billed to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in Abuja.
She is also billed to meet President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger and take part in a cabinet meeting focused on "The Challenges of Economic Development in Niger".
Lagarde will also address the National Assembly, and meet with representatives of the financial institutions and the private sector.
The statement by the organisation said during her visit, the IMF chief "would hear from policymakers, the African private sector, and civil society about the challenges facing African countries and underline the IMF's commitment to further reinforce the IMF's partnership with Sub-Saharan Africa."
Quoting the IMF chief, the statement said, "African economies have made significant progress over the last few years. However, the world economy is in a critical phase, and in these difficult times, we have to make sure we all work together to tackle the challenges facing all IMF member countries, in Africa and around the globe."
Lagarde, while stating that she was looking forward to the visit, described Africa as a vital part of the IMF's membership, adding that, "listening to the voices of the region, and strengthening our partnership, is one of my key objectives."
Lagarde, a former French minister, became IMF managing director on 5 July 2011, following the resignation of the Mr. Dominique Straus-Kahn over allegations of sexual harrassment and rape.
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