Nigeria’s Debt has Climbed to just ₦152.4 trillion — DMO informs Nigerians

Nigeria’s total public debt stock has surged to ₦152.40 trillion as of June 30, 2025, according to fresh data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Saturday.

This marks an increase of ₦3.01 trillion from the ₦149.39 trillion recorded in March 2025 —a 2.01% rise within just three months. In dollar terms, the figure rose from $97.24 billion to $99.66 billion, reflecting a 2.49% uptick.

The DMO attributed the rise to increased borrowing both locally and internationally to fund fiscal gaps, despite ongoing revenue reforms and foreign exchange liberalisation.

A breakdown shows external debt grew from $45.98 billion in March to $46.98 billion (₦71.85tn) by June.

The World Bank remains Nigeria’s largest external creditor with $18.04 billion outstanding, representing 38% of total external obligations, mostly through the International Development Association.

Multilateral lenders collectively hold $23.19 billion (49.4%), including the African Development Bank, IMF, and Islamic Development Bank. Bilateral loans stood at $6.20 billion, led by China’s Exim Bank at $4.91 billion, followed by France, Japan, India, and Germany.

Commercial loans, primarily Eurobonds, amounted to $17.32 billion, representing 36.9% of external debt, while $268.9 million came from syndicated facilities and commercial bank loans. Analysts warn that Nigeria’s heavy Eurobond exposure increases its vulnerability to global market volatility.

On the domestic front, total debt climbed from ₦78.76 trillion in March to ₦80.55 trillion in June, an increase of ₦1.79 trillion or 2.27%. Federal Government bonds dominated with ₦60.65 trillion, representing 79.2% of local debt. This includes ₦36.52 trillion in naira bonds, ₦22.72 trillion in securitised Ways and Means advances from the CBN, and ₦1.40 trillion in dollar bonds.

Other instruments comprised Treasury bills (₦12.76tn), Sukuk bonds (₦1.29tn), savings bonds (₦91.53bn), green bonds (₦62.36bn), and promissory notes (₦1.73tn).