Chai! My people, gist don land! Nigeria don collect fresh loans again o! This time, na who sabi how many billions we dey talk, but e be like say na $2.6bn from World Bank wey dem carry come last year, 2025.
As e be so, we don dey enter kasala, because developing countries dey face serious debt wahala, and Nigeria no dey left behind. According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), our external debt don jump to about $47bn by June 2025. Wetin concern us na that e don increase from $45.97bn wey we get in first quarter. Wetin dey happen, na wah!
Naija government collect dis money through wetin dem call concessional financing from the International Development Association. Some small portion still come from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. All this cash na to help some serious sectors like health security, small business finance, and even support for those wey no get place to stay.
But make we no forget say dis amount wey dem borrow in 2025, na serious drop from the $4.25bn wey dem collect in 2024. E still dey close to $2.7bn wey we manage for 2023. Na true say this collecting of funds fit help, but we dey hear say the money no reach like before.
For March 2025, dem approve big money; $1.08bn for Human Capital Support Package wey go cover three operations wey dey about education, food, and general livelihood for the people. Na $500m for NG-CARES Programme wey go tackle food security and support vulnerable people. Another $80m na for Accelerating Nutrition Results wey go help our people chop beta food. Na so e be!
This na serious matter, my people. In August, another $300m don land for Solutions for Internally Displaced and Host Communities. This one go help dem wey dey run up and down and those wey no get home. We no fit forget another $250m wey dey go for Health Security Program for Western and Central Africa.
And for October, dem still approve $500m for Digital Infrastructure Growth Project. This one go run fiber-optic connection for plenty areas—about 125,000 kilometers! Na for connect schools, health facilities, and local governments. Na who no wan dey connected na?
Last last, dem don clear another $500m for fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs in Nigeria. This one dey target small businesses wey dey led by women and agribusiness. E go make sense if small businesses fit stand well, nah true?
Even though we dey face serious matters, experts dey talk say the drop in approvals wey we see in 2025 shows say we dey shift from just borrowing money to implementing wetin we don promise before. We dey shift focus to human capital and social protection. Cumulative loans wey Nigeria don collect between 2023 and 2025 don reach like $9.65bn. E mean say we dey rely plenty on dis kind loans to fix our infrastructure and keep our economy stable.
As we dey enter 2026, we dey watch closely. Make we no forget say dis na serious investment and e go really matter how we go fit use am to improve life for everybody. Na still Naija we dey hustle for better!
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
