Nigeria’s total public debt has increased, hitting N159.28tn as of December 31, 2025, according to data released on Tuesday by the Debt Management Office (DMO).
The latest figure pushed by fresh domestic and external borrowings represents a quarter-on-quarter increase of N5.98tn, or 3.9 per cent, from N153.29tn recorded at the end of September 2025, and a year-on-year rise of N14.61tn, or 10.1 per cent, from N144.67tn as of 31 December 2024.
External debt rose from N71.48tn in September 2025 to N74.43tn in December 2025, indicating an increase of N2.95tn or 4.1 per cent.
Similarly, domestic debt climbed from N81.82tn to N84.85tn over the same period, reflecting a rise of N3.03tn or 3.7 per cent.
Despite the increases, domestic debt remained the larger component of the country’s debt stock, accounting for 53.27 per cent of total public debt as of December 2025, compared to external debt, which stood at 46.73 per cent.
This structure was broadly unchanged from September 2025, when domestic debt accounted for 53.37 per cent and external debt made up 46.63 per cent of the total, indicating a stable debt composition over the quarter.
(Ripples)
