Tinubu Confirms Wale Edun’s indisposition, appoints Cardoso to lead Nigeria’s delegation to World Bank-IMF meetings

President Bola Tinubu has confirmed that Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, is indisposed and will not attend the upcoming World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington D.C.

A statement issued Sunday night by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, will now lead the country’s delegation to the global economic summit, which opens on Monday, October 13.

According to the statement, Cardoso, who serves as Nigeria’s alternate governor at the Bretton Woods institutions, will represent the country in place of Mr. Edun. The delegation will also include the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, and other senior government officials.

“Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor of the Central Bank, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meeting in Washington DC, which opens on Monday, October 13.

“Cardoso, as the alternate Governor, replaces the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, who is indisposed,” the statement read.

The Presidency noted that the meetings will feature the Development Committee Plenary session on October 16 and the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) meetings on October 17, alongside several regional briefings, press conferences, and high-level discussions on global economic and financial stability.

The official statement confirming Edun’s indisposition follows earlier reports that the finance minister was flown abroad for emergency medical treatment after suffering a stroke. According to multiple sources, the minister’s condition is serious, with reports of partial paralysis.

A senior government source said President Tinubu has begun discreet consultations to find a temporary replacement for Edun, given his pivotal role in economic management and fiscal coordination.

Security sources reportedly corroborated the development, describing the minister as “extremely ill” and under intensive medical care overseas.

Mr. Edun, one of President Tinubu’s long-time allies and trusted economic advisers, was appointed Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy in August 2023. He previously served as Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State from 1999 to 2004 during Tinubu’s tenure as governor.

Since assuming office, Edun has overseen major fiscal policy initiatives, including the unification of Nigeria’s foreign exchange windows, phasing out of fuel subsidies, and coordination of national budget reforms. His sudden illness, coming just days after participating in budget discussions with the National Assembly, has raised concerns about continuity in the government’s ongoing fiscal and economic reform agenda.

Tinubu Departs for Rome

Meanwhile, President Tinubu departed Abuja on Sunday evening for Rome, Italy, where he will attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, a high-level counterterrorism summit co-chaired by the governments of Jordan and Italy.

The meeting, which opens on October 14, will focus on emerging security threats in West Africa and the Sahel region, including terrorism, organised crime, and maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.