Nigeria’s Public Debt Rises To N166.79trn in Three Months

Nigeria’s total public debt stock rose to N166.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026, representing an increase of N7.44 trillion within three months, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).

The latest figure represents a 4.7 per cent increase from the N159.35 trillion recorded at the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The DMO, in its latest public debt portfolio report released on Friday, also disclosed that the country’s debt stock increased by N14.39 trillion, or 9.4 per cent, compared with the N152.4 trillion recorded as of June 2025.

Domestic debt accounted for N91.59 trillion, representing 54.91 per cent of the total debt stock, while external debt stood at N75.20 trillion, or 45.09 per cent.

A breakdown of the figures showed that domestic debt increased by N11.04 trillion, or 13.7 per cent, from N80.55 trillion recorded in June 2025.

External debt also increased by N3.35 trillion, representing a 4.7 per cent rise from the N71.85 trillion recorded during the same period last year.

The Federal Government accounted for N152.77 trillion of the total public debt, comprising N86.99 trillion in domestic obligations and N65.77 trillion in external debt.

States and the Federal Capital Territory accounted for the remaining N14.01 trillion, comprising N4.59 trillion in domestic debt and N9.42 trillion in external obligations.

In dollar terms, the country’s total public debt stood at $120.93 billion as of June 30, 2026, compared with $99.66 billion recorded in June 2025.

The DMO said the external debt component was converted using the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official exchange rate of N1,379 to the dollar as of June 30, 2026.

The latest figures indicate continued growth in Nigeria’s public debt stock, with both domestic and external obligations recording increases over the 12-month period covered by the DMO report.