As at the end of 2022, Nigeria public debt ballooned to N46.25 trillion, whopping $103.11 billion, a report from the Debt Management Office (DMO) said on Thursday.
The nation’s debt profile increased by N6.69trn trillion (an equivalence of $7.34 billion) within one year.
The comparative figure of public debt as of December 31, 2021, was N39.56 trillion (am equivalence of $95.77 billion).
The new figure, the Office disclosed in a statement, is made up of the domestic and external total debt stocks of the Federal Government and the sub-national governments (36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory).
“As of December 31, 2022, the Total Public Debt Stock was N46.25 trillion or USD$103.11 billion.
“In terms of composition, total Domestic Debt Stock was N27.55 trillion (USD $61.42 billion) while Total External Debt Stock was N18.70 trillion (USD $41.69 billion).
“Amongst the reasons for the increase in the total public debt stock were new borrowings by the FGN and sub-national governments, primarily to fund budget deficits and execute projects.
“The issuance of promissory notes by the FGN to settle some liabilities also contributed to the growth in the debt stock.
“On-going efforts by the Government to increase revenues from oil and non-oil sources through initiatives such as the Finance Acts and the Strategic Revenue Mobilization initiative are expected to support debt sustainability.
“The total public debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio for December 31, 2022, was 23.20 percent and indicates a slight increase from the figure for December 31, 2022, at 22.47 percent.
“The ratio of 23.20 percent is within the 40 per cent limit self-imposed by Nigeria, the 55 per cent limit recommended by the World Bank/International Monetary Fund, and, the 70 per cent limit recommended by the Economic Community of West African States,” the statement reads.
