Nigeria is expected to play a significant role in driving global economic expansion in 2026, as new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) place the country among the top 10 contributors to worldwide GDP growth.
The projection reflects Nigeria’s increasing economic relevance beyond Africa and points to its strengthening position in the global economy. According to details shared by the National Orientation Agency via its official X account on Monday, the IMF estimates that Nigeria will account for about 1.5 per cent of global real GDP growth next year.
The outlook places Nigeria ahead of some advanced economies and on par with countries such as Brazil, highlighting the impact of its large consumer market, youthful population and ongoing policy reforms aimed at stabilising and expanding the economy.
IMF data indicate that emerging and developing economies will dominate global growth in 2026. China is projected to lead with 26.6 per cent of global GDP growth, followed by India at 17 per cent and the United States at 9.9 per cent.
Other contributors include Indonesia with 3.8 per cent, Türkiye at 2.2 per cent and Saudi Arabia at 1.7 per cent, while Nigeria and Brazil are both projected to contribute 1.5 per cent each.
