Iyabo Masha, director and head of secretariat of the Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four (G-24), has outlined the agenda for the group’s forthcoming technical group meeting to be hosted by Nigeria in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The meeting, being held in Nigeria for the first time, will take place between February 18 and 20 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, Masha said the G-24 was created about 54 years ago at a time of severe global economic disruptions, with the primary objective of giving developing countries a collective voice in engagements with advanced economies.

She said the group was formed to represent the interests of major economies in the Global South on issues ranging from exchange rate policies and development financing to international taxation and trade.

Masha noted that the dominance of the United States dollar in global transactions continues to shape economic outcomes for developing countries, stressing the need for global economic policies to better reflect the challenges faced by poorer economies.

She added that development financing remains a core concern for G-24 members, many of which, according to her, rely heavily on external funding because of underdeveloped domestic capital markets.

The G-24 director noted that the group maintains continuous engagement with the international financial architecture to improve financing outcomes for developing countries, including access to more affordable and appropriate funding.

Masha emphasised that international tax cooperation holds significant importance, given the widespread concerns about illicit financial flows and the underpayment of taxes by multinational companies.

She explained that the G-24 currently has 29 member countries, alongside observer countries and observer organisations, including the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the International Labour Organisation.

The group is headquartered in Washington, DC, and holds two ministerial-level meetings each year on the sidelines of the meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.