By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com | posted 8th September, 2025
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has warned that Nigeria’s escalating debt profile has surpassed the statutory threshold, posing a grave threat to the country’s fiscal sustainability.
Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com
Speaking on Monday at the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC), held at the National Assembly in Abuja, Abbas described the country’s debt as having reached “a critical point.”
He cautioned that reckless borrowing not only undermines economic stability but also fuels corruption and mismanagement. Abbas urged for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s borrowing practices, emphasizing the need for stronger parliamentary oversight and transparent debt management.
The Speaker’s remarks come amid concerns over the Federal Government’s increasing reliance on loans under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, raising fresh debates on Nigeria’s long-term fiscal health.
“As at the first quarter of 2025, Nigeria’s total public debt stood at N149.39 trillion, equivalent to about US$97 billion. This represents a sharp rise from N121.7 trillion the previous year, underscoring how quickly the burden has grown. Even more concerning is the debt-to-GDP ratio, which now stands at roughly 52 per cent, well above the statutory ceiling of 40 per cent set by our own laws,” Abbas said.
The Speaker cautioned that the breach of the debt limit was a sign of strain on fiscal sustainability and a warning that borrowing practices must change. He stressed that oversight must ensure every loan delivers visible benefits to Nigerians.
Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com
He also drew attention to the wider African picture, noting that governments across the continent were already spending more on debt servicing than on healthcare and other critical services.
“This is not just a budgetary concern but a structural crisis that demands urgent parliamentary attention and coordinated reform,” he stated.
To address the risks, Abbas disclosed that Nigeria would push for the creation of a West African Parliamentary Debt Oversight Framework under WAAPAC. The initiative, he said, would harmonise debt reporting across the region, set transparency benchmarks, and empower legislatures with timely data for monitoring public borrowing.
He further announced plans for regional training programs for Public Accounts and Finance Committees, aimed at equipping lawmakers with modern tools to assess debt sustainability and fiscal risks.
While acknowledging that borrowing is sometimes necessary, Abbas warned against reckless practices that worsen poverty and inequality.
“Borrowing should support infrastructure, health, education, and industries that create jobs and reduce poverty. Reckless debt that fuels consumption or corruption must be exposed and rejected. Oversight is not just about figures but about the lives and futures behind those figures,” he stressed.
Abbas reaffirmed the 10th House’s pledge to accountability under its Open Parliament policy, noting that major borrowing requests would be subjected to public hearings while simplified debt reports would be published for citizens.
The conference, attended by lawmakers from across West Africa, development partners, and fiscal experts, is focusing on “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt: The Role of Finance and Public Accounts Committees.”
According to Abbas, the outcomes of the meeting will be crucial in shaping policies that safeguard fiscal responsibility and transparency across the sub-region.
Subscribe To The Best Team In Conservative, Business, Technology, Lifestyle And Digital News Realtime! support@ddnewsonline.com
The Speaker’s remarks come amid concerns over the Federal Government’s increasing reliance on loans under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, raising fresh debates on Nigeria’s long-term fiscal health.
However, majority of Nigerians who have reacted on social media agree that while this may seem to be an epiphanic moment for the Speaker, others view his acerbic assessment of the FG humongous loan profile as mere gaslighting, saying they will only believe his comments are altruistic when they see him reject the next loan request from the executive else it may just be some apostate croaking.
Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your blog? My website is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from a lot of the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Thank you!
Please let me know if you’re looking for a article writer for your blog. You have some really great posts and I feel I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an e-mail if interested. Thank you!
What i do not understood is in truth how you are not really a lot more well-preferred than you may be right now. You’re so intelligent. You understand therefore considerably with regards to this subject, made me for my part believe it from so many various angles. Its like women and men are not interested unless it is one thing to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always care for it up!