Nigeria’s debt to the World Bank rose by $2.08bn to $19.89bn in 2025, accounting for over 38 per cent of its total external debt.
Nigeria’s debt to the World Bank rose by $2.08bn within one year to $19.89bn as of December 31, 2025, according to data released by the Debt Management Office. The figure represents an 11.7 per cent increase from the $17.81bn recorded at the end of 2024, reflecting continued reliance on multilateral financing.
The World Bank debt comprises loans from the International Development Association and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Data showed that IDA debt rose from $16.56bn in 2024 to $18.51bn in 2025, while IBRD exposure increased from $1.24bn to $1.38bn, indicating steady growth across both concessional and non-concessional financing windows.
The increase means World Bank loans accounted for 38.36 per cent of Nigeria’s total external debt stock of $51.86bn as of the end of 2025, slightly below the 38.90 per cent recorded in 2024. Overall, the country’s external debt rose by $6.08bn, or 13.27 per cent, from $45.78bn in 2024, with the World Bank contributing about 34.3 per cent of the total increase, even as other debt sources such as commercial and syndicated loans expanded at a faster rate.