The Nigerian government spent a total of N1.24 trillion to service debt in the first quarter (Jan-March) of 2023, as total public debt hit N49.85 trillion, according to Debt Management Office (DMO).
DMO disclosed that N874.12 billion was spent to service domestic debt while external debt servicing gulped N368 billion ( $801.36 million).
NewsBeatng reports that a breakdown of the domestic debt service data revealed that N244.56 billion was paid in January, N146.41 billion in February and N483.149 billion in March.
Interest on treasury bills (NTBs) gulped N56.5 billion, interest on FGN bonds gulped N723.95 billion while N8.17 billion was paid as rentals on Sukuk.
Also, N622,808,510 was paid as interest on the FGN savings bond while N84.9 billion was spent on promissory notes.
Also, debt service payment made to the African growing together fund was $101,062.15, the African Development Fund received $13,891,618.99, the European development fund received $1,055,965.10, the Islamic Development Bank received $5,014,405.05 while international fund for agricultural development received $1,809, 132.05.
DMO’s report also showed that Nigeria’s total public debt for the period ending March 31, 2023, stood at N49.85 trillion ($108.30 billion), representing a 7.22 per cent increase from N46.25 trillion ($103.31 billion) recorded as of December 2022.
Of the total amount, the total external debt for the period was N19.64 trillion ($42,671.70) while the total domestic debt was N30.21 trillion($65,623.48).
FGN debt stock was N24.73 trillion while the total debt for 36 states and FCT was N5.47 trillion respectively.
It stated that the domestic debt of the FGN does not include the N22.7 Trillion Ways and Means Advances at the CBN for which the approval of the National Assembly (NASS) to securitize, as it was received in May 2023. “The amount will be included in the June 2023 Debt Data.”
