Browsing: Nigeria

Nigeria's debt situation under President Bola Tinubu

As the 16th president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has inherited an economy grappling with record-high inflation, enduring unemployment, extreme poverty, crumbling infrastructure and high levels of insecurity. However, Nigeria’s debt situation is a sore thumb among these challenges.

Nigeria’s external debt stock stood at US$41.69 billion in 2022. Multilateral lenders accounted for almost half of this figure, with Eurobonds taking about 38 per cent of Nigeria’s external debt. China’s Exim Bank accounts for US$4.3 billion, or 86 per cent of the $5 billion in bilateral debt.

President Bola Tinubu

In his inaugural address on May 29, President Bola Tinubu stated his plans to revive Nigeria’s ailing economy. After being sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President, Tinubu expressed his immediate objective to achieve higher GDP of not less than 6 per cent annually and a significant reduction in the unemployment rate.

President Ahmed Bola Tinubu removes Nigeria's fuel subsidy

At his inauguration, Nigeria’s new president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, announced that his administration would do away with the fuel subsidy. The announcement resulted in a spark in prices and long queues in Nigeria as people rushed to buy fuel before the price increase when the policy took effect on July 1.

When the policy to remove Nigeria’s fuel subsidy takes effect, fuel prices in Nigeria are expected to jump from the official pump price of $0.4 to between $0.76 and $1.18. According to the United Nations, Nigeria’s rise in fuel prices will have widespread economic ramifications for over 133 million citizens plagued by multidimensional poverty.

Dangote oil refinery

The Nigerian government has taken various steps to address the persistent fuel shortages, including rehabilitating the country’s refineries, the establishment of new refineries, and promoting private sector investment in the downstream sector. However, progress has been slow, and the problem persists. However, the Dangote oil refinery’s boost to Nigeria’s oil refining capacity should help the government in its quest to address the persistent fuel shortages and end the energy sector crisis.