The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has decried Nigeria’s startling 75 per cent surge in debt towering at a staggering N87 trillion
The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani in a statement issued Saturday said the figure represents an increase of 75.29 per cent, or N37.53 trillion, compared to N49.85.trillion recorded at the end of March 2023.
The group also lamented the nonchalance displayed by the President Bola Tinubu administration towards the country’s rising debt profile.
It highlighted the concerning fiscal implications for the nation, especially as it struggles to manage debt interest payments, despite the expected monthly savings of approximately N400 billion from fuel subsidy removal.
CISLAC emphasised the urgent need for the National Assembly to meticulously scrutinise loan requests, ensuring compliance with the law and alignment with the interests of the Nigerian public.
It further decried that at a time when the international community was pushing for substantial debt relief initiatives and multilateral financial reforms, Nigeria’s deepening debt situation and fiscal recklessness are being called into question.
It noted: “With Nigeria grappling with both a significant revenue and debt crisis, pressure is mounting on the current administration to address these challenges without further exacerbating borrowings,” Rafsanjani noted.
“Analysts call for efforts to reduce the cost of governance, broaden the tax net, drive compliance, and plug leakages. Collaboration between the government and taxpayers is encouraged to boost tax revenue, ensuring a strong connection between access to public services and tax compliance.”
It stressed that policies promoting tax transparency should be swiftly implemented, and partnerships with taxpayers should be nurtured to ensure the direct utilisation of taxes for infrastructure.
It said involving informal sector groups in tax compliance efforts and expanding the whistleblowing policy to gather intelligence for tax enforcement is deemed essential.