Nigeria’s mounting debt crisis has triggered a strong warning from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, who cautioned that the nation’s borrowing has breached its statutory ceiling and now poses a threat to fiscal stability.
The Speaker raised he alarm on Monday at the opening of the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees, held at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The conference, which drew parliamentarians, development partners, and financial experts from across West Africa, is focusing on the theme “Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight of Public Debt: The Role of Finance and Public Accounts Committees.”
In his speech, Abbas expressed concerns that Nigeria’s debt had reached “a critical point” and called for urgent reforms in borrowing practices and oversight.
“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.
“This is not just a budgetary concern but a structural crisis that demands urgent parliamentary attention and coordinated reform,” the Speaker warned.
