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Nigeria’s Debt Profile Hits N17.36trn
In less than 20 months, Nigeria’s total debt profile has risen to N17.36 or $57.39billion from N2.03trillion ($10.32billion) as at the end ofJune 2015.
This revelation was made yesterday by the Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr Abraham Nwankwo during the budget defence session for his agency before the Senate Committee on Foreign and Local Debts.
According to the DMO’s DG, the total debt
profile of the country which comprises of both local and foreign debts has been on the increase since July 2015 due to prevailing economic challenges at both the federal and state levels.
He said while the Federal Government’s domestic debt as at December 31, 2015 was N8.84trillion, it rose to N11.06trillion as at December 2016.
Nwankwo explained that the total debt profile of $57.39billion is made up of external debt stock of $11.41billion (N3.48trillion and domestic debt stock of $45.98billion(N13.88trillion) out of which the 36states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory accounted for about 32.45% and the federal government accounting for the remaining 67.55%.
Worried by the rising debt profile, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Shehu Sani (APCKaduna Central) and other members, asked the DMO’s DG why the federal
government had not sought for debt relief from the creditors as was the case during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
as once did.
The DG in his response incurred the wrath of the committee members by declaring that Nigeria despite
the high debt profile is still strong economically.
”In our humble view, Nigeria is not in a position to beg for debt forgiveness. Nigeria is still a very strong economy. We have some challenges. But Nigeria has not reached a stage that it needs to beg for debt forgiveness.We are not in that
position, Sir”. the DG said
It was a submission that made a member of the committee, Senator Obinna Ogba, to fire back at him, by asking him whether Nigeria was in bad situation when the Obasanjo-led administration sought debt write – off .
In response, the DG said the question was
too big for him to answer.
Angered by the DMO’s DG’s response ,Senator Shehu Sani accused him of being careless and insensitive to the plights of ordinary Nigerians going by his stance against seeking for debt relief.
His words “It is shocking that in 2006, people found it easier to feed their families and pay the fees of their children and rents. Now, things are in a very bad shape. But you’re speaking in a way not typical of somebody who lives with the people but like somebody who is speaking from an ‘expert’ point of view.
“You said we are not in a bad position to ask for debt forgiveness. If you are talking from the point of how our people live nowadays, you would not be able to say such things. But you are speaking naturally as an expert.”
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.