October 7, 2021

…Announces plans to finance proposed 2022 N6.258 trillion budget deficit through fresh borrowings

The Federal Government on Wednesday has yet again defended its borrowing spree even as Nigerians continue to raise concerns over what many term as excessive borrowing.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, gave the defence during a press conference after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, while announcing the FG’s plans to finance the proposed 2022 budget deficit pegged at N6.258 trillion through fresh borrowings.

She noted that the move is necessary to be able to build projects and to ensure they are developed on a sustainable basis.

She added, “Nigeria’s borrowing, has been of great concern and has elicited a lot of discussions. But if you look at the total size of the borrowing, it is still within healthy and sustainable limits.

“As of July 2021, the total borrowing is 23% of GDP. When you compare our borrowing to other countries, we’re the lowest within the region, lowest compared to Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, the very lowest, and Angola.

“We do have a problem with revenue. Our revenues have been increasing. We just reported to Council that our revenues from non-oil have performed, as of July, at the rate of 111%, which means outperforming the prorated budget.”

“Government has been borrowing before this administration and continues to borrow and it is important that we borrow to provide developmental projects in the form of roads, rails, bridges, power and water for sustainable development in this country,” she said.

“If we just depend on the revenues that we get, even though our revenues have increased, the operational expenditure of government, including salaries and other overheads, is barely covered or swallowed up by the revenue.”