- Nigeria’s public debt soared to ₦121.67 trillion ($91.46 billion), with ₦6.53 trillion borrowed from December to March alone
- The debt increase includes securitization of Ways and Means Advances and impacts Nigeria’s fiscal policies and economic challenges
Nigeria’s public debt has surged to ₦121.67 trillion ($91.46 billion), marking a substantial increase due to recent borrowing under President Bola Tinubu’s government, as the Debt Management Office (DMO) reported.
From December to March alone, the government borrowed ₦6.53 trillion, including the securitization of Ways and Means Advances. By March 31, 2024, Nigeria’s total debt, combining domestic and external obligations, reached ₦121.67 trillion ($91.46 billion).
The breakdown revealed that domestic debt amounted to ₦65.65 trillion ($46.29 billion), while external debt stood at ₦56.02 trillion ($42.12 billion).
Nigeria’s debt ballooned by ₦24.33 trillion within three months, rising from ₦97.34 trillion ($108.23 billion) in December 2023.
The DMO clarified that the increase primarily stemmed from new borrowings to finance the 2024 Budget deficit and convert a portion of the N7.3 trillion Ways and Means Advances held at the Central Bank of Nigeria into securitized debt.
“Nigeria’s Total Public Debt, comprising the Total Domestic and External Debts of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the thirty-six (36) state governments, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stood at N121.67 trillion (USD91.46 billion) as at March 31, 2024. The December 31, 2023’s comparative figure was N97.34 trillion (USD108.23 billion). Total Domestic Debt was N65.65 trillion (USD46.29 billion) while Total External Debt was N56.02 trillion (USD42.12 billion).
“Excluding Naira exchange rate movements in Q1 2024, only the Domestic Debt component of Total Public Debt grew from N59.12 trillion on December 31, 2023, to N65.65 trillion on March 31, 2024. The increase was from new borrowing to part-finance the 2024 Budget deficit and securitization of a portion of the N7.3 trillion Ways and Means Advances at the Central Bank of Nigeria,” DMO said in its statement.
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