The Federal Government spent $3.58 billion servicing the country’s foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024. Data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.
According to the report, while the highest monthly debt servicing payment in 2024 occurred in May, amounting to $854.37m, the highest monthly expenditure in 2023 was $641.70m, recorded in July.
The trend in international debt servicing by the CBN highlights the rising cost of debt obligations by Nigeria.