The editor of this paper called, in that familiar tone that suggests both urgency and a certain intellectual mischief, and asked me to offer some reflections on the recent appointment of Taiwo Oyedele as Nigeria’s new Minister of Finance.
It is not the first time I have been invited into this conversation. Readers with long memories—or admirable patience — may recall that I wrote two essays on his predecessor under the rather indulgent and lyrical title “Ballata for Wale Edun.” In those pieces, I tried to do what one often must in Nigeria: translate policy into narrative and governance into something resembling coherence.
Today, however, the tone must be different. Less lyrical, more exacting. Before we speak of arrivals, we must account properly, respectfully, and clearly for departures.
There is something unsettling about the manner in which Wale Edun left office. Not because change is unexpected in politics — it is, in fact, its most reliable constant — but because of the lack of clarity surrounding that change. In public governance, silence is rarely neutral. It is interpreted, expanded, and, more often than not, misused.
When a finance minister departs without a clear, authoritative explanation, the vacuum that follows is quickly filled not by facts but by speculation. Once unleashed, speculation behaves like an unregulated currency: it inflates, distorts, and ultimately erodes trust.
As I often had cause to say, a serious government must understand that transparency is not a favour it grants; it is a discipline it owes.
Let us be clear. This is not a call for spectacle or for the unnecessary exposure of internal deliberations. It is a call for clarity. For the simple yet powerful act of saying: this is what has happened, and this is why. Whether it is health, policy divergence, or incompetence in performance, there must be an explanation. When such clarity is absent, the question shifts from what changed to what is being hidden. Once that question takes hold, it becomes difficult to restore confidence — whether among citizens or investors.
In this sense, the manner of Edun’s departure is not merely a communication lapse; it is a reminder that credibility is built as much during transitions as during tenure.
That said, we should resist the common and convenient tendency to view governance as centred solely on personalities. Nigeria does not lack talented individuals with ideas; rather, it lacks the systems to support and sustain them. Therefore, the appointment of Taiwo Oyedele should be seen not just as a personal achievement or political manoeuvre, but as a measure of the strength of our institutions.
Markets, always pragmatic, have responded with what can best be described as cautious optimism. The appointment is viewed as a positive signal, an acknowledgement that Nigeria’s fiscal challenges demand technical expertise, thorough analysis, and a disciplined approach to policy. However, unlike commentators, markets do not simply praise intentions; they monitor actual outcomes. At this point, therefore, the appointment is encouraging but still provisional. It indicates a potential direction, but it has not yet delivered concrete results.
If Oyedele is to leave a mark, it will likely begin with budget credibility, particularly in the often delicate matter of revenue projections. Nigeria’s budgets have, for too long, been documents of aspiration. They speak in confident tones of revenue that has not yet been secured, of growth that has not yet been realised, and of fiscal balance that remains, at best, a distant objective. There is, in this approach, a certain optimism. But optimism, when repeated without adjustment, becomes a habit — and unchecked, habits become structural weaknesses.
Oyedele’s professional background suggests a different approach, one less inclined towards projection and more committed to verification. We may expect revenue assumptions grounded in administrative reality, greater attention to tax efficiency rather than tax expansion alone, and a deliberate effort to broaden the tax base without stifling economic activity. But here lies the crucial point: credibility is not built on better numbers; it is built on better alignment between numbers and outcomes. A budget becomes credible not when it is announced, but when it is executed.
However, expecting immediate transformation would be unfair and analytically unsound. The 2026 budget was conceived under prior leadership. It embeds assumptions, commitments, and structures that cannot be dismantled in a single fiscal cycle. Oyedele, therefore, inherits not a blank slate but a constructed reality. In the short term, his influence will be less about redesign and more about discipline. Observers should watch, with particular care, monthly and quarterly revenue performance, expenditure patterns, especially in recurrent spending, the management of fiscal deficits, and the transparency and timeliness of fiscal reporting. For it is in these seemingly technical details that credibility is either built—or quietly undermined.
If we were to identify a single, enduring challenge in Nigeria’s fiscal architecture, it would be coordination. Policies are often well-intentioned yet poorly aligned. Agencies operate with overlapping mandates. Decisions are announced without being fully integrated into the broader system. The result is not merely inefficiency but inconsistency — and inconsistency is the natural enemy of credibility.
At first glance, centralising fiscal authority may appear to offer a solution. But centralisation, without accompanying reform, risks becoming an administrative illusion. What matters is not where authority resides, but how it is exercised.
Markets will look for evidence of genuine coordination, including well-defined accountability frameworks, smooth collaboration between revenue and expenditure authorities, fewer policy conflicts, and governance grounded in reliable data. To be clear, coordination is not merely declared; it is demonstrated by the consistent repetition of aligned actions over time.
Nigeria’s borrowing approach has historically been driven more by immediate needs than by strategic planning. When fiscal gaps arise, borrowing is often the default response. While understandable in the short term, this pattern is not sustainable over the long run. The emergence of Oyedele offers the potential for a subtle but meaningful shift — from reactive borrowing driven by urgent financial pressures to a more proactive, strategic approach. Ideally, this new approach would prioritise expanding domestic revenue, ensure careful management of debt levels to maintain sustainability, and align borrowing with investments that promote economic productivity and growth.
Yet we must remain realistic. Structural pressures, ranging from infrastructure needs to existing obligations, will not disappear. The likely change, therefore, is not an immediate reduction in borrowing, but an improvement in its quality and purpose. In fiscal matters, quality often matters more than quantity.
It is tempting to ask whether this appointment will lead to increased investment flows. The answer is both simple and complex. Yes, it can — but only within a broader pattern.
Investors typically do not respond solely to individuals; instead, their decisions are shaped by the overall environment, predictability, and systems that minimise uncertainty rather than increase it. For Oyedele’s appointment to generate tangible inflows — whether through portfolio or direct investments — certain conditions must be met: consistent policy direction, transparent exchange-rate management, credible fiscal consolidation, regulatory stability, and improvements in the ease of doing business. Therefore, this appointment should be seen not as an end in itself but as the beginning of a longer journey towards achieving these objectives.
There is a common phrase we often hear, sometimes sincere, sometimes used for convenience: “Let us put politics aside.” However, in a democracy, politics can never be entirely set aside. It is inevitably present in appointments, policy priorities, and the choices we make or avoid.
What we can — and must — do is ensure that political considerations do not overshadow core principles. For example, appointing a technically skilled and qualified person is itself a political decision. But such a decision also signals openness to letting expertise and evidence guide governance. The true challenge is whether that expertise will be allowed to operate fully and whether decisions will be based on evidence and sound judgement rather than on quick fixes or political expediency.
We finally return to the interplay between signals and systems. The appointment of Taiwo Oyedele is a clear, encouraging, and significant signal. The silence surrounding his predecessor’s exit is also a signal, though unclear, less encouraging, and equally significant. Together, they tell a story. A story of a system perhaps in transition. A system that recognises the need for credibility but has not yet fully embraced the discipline required to sustain it. For in governance, as in life, consistency is the true measure of seriousness. A system that communicates clearly in one moment and ambiguously in another risks undermining itself. A system that appoints competence yet constrains its operation risks disappointing those who hope for change.
In the end, the question is not whether Taiwo Oyedele is capable. The evidence suggests he is. The question is whether the system around him is ready to be transparent, disciplined, and consistent. Credibility is not a declaration. It is a practice. Like all meaningful practices, it must be repeated — patiently, deliberately, and without interruption — until it becomes not an aspiration but a habit.
Join me @anthonykila, if you can, to continue these conversations.
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Anthony Kila is a Jean Monnet professor of Strategy and Development. He is currently Institute Director at the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, CIAPS, Lagos, Nigeria. He is a regular commentator on the BBC and he works with various organisations on International Development projects across Europe, Africa and the USA. He tweets @anthonykila, and can be reached at anthonykila@ciaps.org
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