Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has shown that Nigeria spent about $5.21 billion on servicing of external debt obligations in 2025.
This accounts for more than 72 per cent of the country’s total international payments during the year.
Figures published on the CBN website indicate that external debt service rose from $4.66 billion in 2024 to $5.21 billion in 2025, representing an increase of $551.86 million or about 11.9 per cent year-on-year.
It further showed that total international payments dropped from $7.44 billion in 2024 to $7.22 billion in 2025, reflecting a reduction of $217.68 million or about 2.9 per cent. Despite the fall in total outflows, the proportion of international payments used for debt servicing increased significantly.
The CBN data showed that 72.11 per cent of Nigeria’s international payments in 2025 were devoted to external debt service, compared with 62.58 per cent recorded in 2024.
