By Brad Haynes
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Nigeria needs to double economic growth within the next year or two from an annualized rate of 3.5% in the third quarter to lift its population out of poverty, its finance minister told Reuters on Thursday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.
Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Wale Edun said Nigeria was on the path to growth after a year of tough economic reforms that sent inflation soaring, but should open the door for more investment.
Edun said he had been meeting in Davos this week with business leaders in the areas of consumer goods, food and beverages, financial services and infrastructure to promote investments, he said in a Thursday interview.
"It's a steady trickle now. What we want is a stream and at the end of the day a flood of investment," he said.
Nigeria has been trying to encourage private investment rather than rely on borrowing to create jobs, as the government searches for a solution to sluggish growth, double-digit inflation and a heavy debt burden.
President Bola Tinubu has vowed to expand the economy by at least 6% a year, create jobs and unify the exchange rate, while also tackling rampant insecurity.
Tinubu scrapped a popular but costly petrol subsidy and lifted foreign exchange trading restrictions. That contributed to consumer inflation, but Edun expressed confidence that Nigerians would soon be past their cost of living crisis.
Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso on Thursday said he expected the economy to expand by 4.17% this year, driven by ongoing reforms and stabilising inflation.