Nigeria’s Finance Minister To W’Bank, Others: Middle-income Countries With Debt Challenges Need Help Too

 Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed  has said an agreement by official bilateral creditors to suspend debt payments by the poorest countries harmed by the coronavirus pandemic is a welcome first step, but “appropriate” solutions are also needed for middle-income countries with debt challenges.

Reuters reports that In remarks prepared for delivery on Friday at the World Bank’s Development Committee, Ahmed urges the bank and other multilateral institutions to explore ways of participating in the debt relief initiative.

She also raises concerns about export restrictions that are resulting in shortages of medical supplies and food, warning they could cause hunger and social unrest in some developing countries.