‘It’s part of 2021 budget’ — DMO clarifies Buhari’s $6bn loan request

 

The Debt Management Office (DMO) says the $6 billion (N2.34 trillion) loan request of President Muhammadu Buhari is already captured in the 2021 budget.

On Tuesday, Buhari asked the national assembly to approve the request.

 

Buhari said the sum — approximately $6.183 billion — will be raised from multilateral and bilateral tenders as well as the international capital market.

 

“His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has recently written a letter to the National Assembly (NASS) requesting for the approval, by resolution of N2.343 Trillion new external capital raising,” a statement issued on Tuesday by DMO read.

 

“The proposed new capital raising, is the New External Borrowing already provided for in the 2021 Appropriation Act. It will be recalled that the President signed the 2021 Appropriation Bill which included New Domestic and New External Borrowing into law after the approval of NASS.

 

“Accordingly, the new capital raising has already been approved and is now being presented to NASS in order to fulfil the provisions of Sections 21 and 27 of the Debt Management Office (Establishment, Etc.) Act, 2003.”

 

The agency explained that the proceeds of the loan are to be deployed to capital projects in various sectors of the economy including power, transport, agriculture and rural development, education, health and water resources that are included in the 2021 appropriation act.