FG Spends N609.134bn On Domestic Debt Servicing

The Federal Government has spent N609.135 billion to service domestic debt in the first quarter of 2020.

The Debt Management Office (DMO) released this figure yesterday in Abuja.

According to the DMO, between January and March, 2020, the Federal Government paid interest on Nigerian Treasury Bill (NTB) to the tune of N111.605 billion.

Other obligations which the Federal Government met within the first three months of the year include: interest on FGN Bonds, N488.935 billion; FGN Savings Bonds debt servicing N392.794 billion and; Rentals N8.201 billion.

Giving a month-by-month breakdown of debt servicing activities of the government, the DMO stated that in January 2020, the government serviced debts with N251.352 billion.

In February it paid out interests amounting to N158.123 billion and in March doled out N199.658 billion to service debt.

Within the first quarter of the year, the DMO had released the country’s total public debt stock which it put at N28.628 trillion, as at March 31, 2020. This was made up of N18.641 trillion ($51.637 billion) domestic debt and N9.987 trillion ($27.665 billion) external debt.

Also in the first quarter of the year, all the States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory were indebted to the combined tune of N4.106 trillion with Lagos state leading the pack with total debt stock of N444.227 billion.

Lagos is followed by Rivers state which owed N266.936 billion; Akwa Ibom state, N240.030 billion and Delta state with N230.752 billion.

Other highly indebted states are Cross River, N165.919 billion; Imo, N163.995 billion; Bayelsa, N154.951 billion; Ogun, N143.530 billion; Osun, N137.309 billion; Plateau N130.732 billion and Kogi N128.917 billion.