Cardoso to Lead Nigerian Delegation to World Bank/IMF Meetings as Finance Minister Wale Edun is Indisposed

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the forthcoming World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington, DC, starting Monday, October 13. This move follows the decision to rule out the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, due to illness.

A statement released on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed that Edun is “indisposed.”

The statement noted that Cardoso, who serves as the alternate Governor for Nigeria at the Bretton Woods institutions, will replace the Finance Minister.

The Nigerian delegation will also include the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anete.

An exclusive report, subsequently confirmed by Presidency sources, indicates that Minister Edun is critically ill after suffering a stroke. A top government source described the minister’s condition as “very serious,” noting that he is receiving intensive medical attention and is currently suffering from severe paralysis.

Following the severity of Edun’s condition, sources revealed that President Bola Tinubu has begun discreet consultations to identify a potential replacement for the Minister of Finance.

The source suggested that the President is “looking for a replacement urgently” amid mounting economic and foreign exchange challenges.

The source linked Edun’s deteriorating health to exhaustion and stress from a demanding schedule, noting that senior officials often work long hours with minimal rest.

Edun, who has been a central figure in Tinubu’s economic team since his appointment in August 2023, was involved in budget discussions with the Senate as recently as Thursday before his illness ruled him out of the major international meetings.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu himself departed Abuja on Sunday, October 12, for Rome, Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Level Meeting, which will focus on addressing the security crisis in West Africa.