Nigeria's Public Debt Reaches N159.35 Trillion in March

As of March 2026, Nigeria's total public debt stock stood at N159.35 trillion, reflecting an increase of N9.96 trillion or 6.67% from N149.39 trillion in March 2025. In dollar terms, the debt rose by 18.22%, amounting to $114.95 billion.

Between December 2025 and March 2026, the public debt increased modestly by N75.51 billion (0.05%), with a dollar increase of $3.98 billion (3.59%). The Debt Management Office (DMO) attributed the disparity in naira and dollar movements to changes in the exchange rate, which appreciated by 3.42%.

External debt was $51.90 billion in March 2026, a slight increase from $51.86 billion in December, but its naira value fell by N2.48 trillion (3.33%). Conversely, domestic debt rose by N2.55 trillion (3.01%) in the same period, leading to a shift in the debt portfolio, with domestic obligations comprising 54.85% of total debt compared to 53.27% three months prior.