Nigeria's Public Debt Hits N159.28 Trillion by December 2025

According to the latest data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on Tuesday, Nigeria's total public debt rose to N159.28 trillion as of December 31, 2025. This represents a quarter-on-quarter increase of N5.98 trillion, or 3.9%.

In dollar terms, the debt stock climbed from $103.94 billion to $110.97 billion during this period. Year-on-year, Nigeria's public debt increased by N14.61 trillion, or 10.1%, translating to a rise of $94.23 billion to $110.97 billion.

The breakdown indicates that domestic debt remains the largest contributor, accounting for 53.27% of the total public debt, with the federal government responsible for N80.49 trillion, which is 50.53% of the total. Nigeria's external debt stood at N74.43 trillion, representing 46.73% of the total public debt, with a quarter-on-quarter increase of N2.95 trillion.

The federal government continues to dominate external borrowing, holding N66.27 trillion of the total external debt.