President Bola Tinubu has written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767tn as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 appropriation act.

The loan, if approved, will be used to part-finance the budget deficit of N9.7tn for the 2024 budget.

The president’s request was read by the speaker during plenary on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

The president has also forwarded the MTEF/ FSP 2025- 2027 to parliament and the National Social Investment Programme establishment amendment bill, to make the social register the primary tool for the implementation of the federal government’s social welfare programmes.

This is as the Central Bank of Nigeria recently said the Federal Government spent $3.58 billion servicing the country’s foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.

Data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.