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The glass towers of the Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters in Abuja, with the bank's emblem on the facade Economy The Public Debt Burden in Nigeria Nigeria borrows in public but accounts for this in private. For most of our debts, the public records stop at the level of approval. By Michael Toyo ·

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Governance & Public Integrity

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Governance

Campaign, No Campaign

Nigeria’s political parties can tell us who will coordinate their campaigns, mobilise their supporters and deliver their strongholds. They owe us comparable clarity on who will deliver safer communities, functioning hospitals, and an economy where work pays.

In the data

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AfreximbankAfreximbank: 835.78835.78European Development FundEuropean Development Fund: 42.0042.00Standard CharteredStandard Chartered: 30.5130.51BADEABADEA: 4.224.22 $912.5 million of Nigeria's external debt sits on four lines with no published loan behind them 0200400600Excellent, Institutions: 44ExcellentVery good, Institutions: 33Very goodGood, Institutions: 11GoodPoor, Institutions: 44PoorVery poor, Institutions: 506506Very poor Eight of 518 federal institutions scored 50 percent or more in the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index High: 138 (30.8%)Moderate: 69 (15.4%)Insufficient: 241 (53.8%)High30.8% · 138Moderate15.4% · 69Insufficient53.8% · 241 For more than half of Nigeria's foreign loans, the public record does not show how the money was used Abia: 36.19%Borno: 28.19%FCT: no dataAkwa Ibom: 29.97%Ebonyi: 18.41%Ogun: 18.86%Cross River: 17.97%Imo: 18.67%Rivers: 37.97%Kogi: 31.11%Benue: 20.63%Ekiti: 35.21%Oyo: 36.08%Niger: 10.86%Lagos: 28.19%Anambra: 36.19%Osun: 50.54%Kano: 30.86%Gombe: 36.55%Edo: 22.86%Ondo: 31.75%Nasarawa: 26.67%Kebbi: 36.63%Bauchi: 34.67%Enugu: 36.63%Delta: 30.22%Zamfara: 24.00%Taraba: 19.75%Kwara: 48.19%Jigawa: 23.75%Yobe: 14.86%Katsina: 29.78%Plateau: 30.41%Sokoto: 26.22%Kaduna: 54.68%Bayelsa: 14.86%Adamawa: 26.86%Kaduna54.68%Osun50.54%Niger10.86% Kaduna leads the states in the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index; Niger is last DefenceDefence: 33.17%33.17%FinanceFinance: 25.00%25.00%Women AffairsWomen Affairs: 22.33%22.33%JusticeJustice: 18.50%18.50%EducationEducation: 17.00%17.00%AviationAviation: 17.00%17.00%Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs: 17.00%17.00%EnvironmentEnvironment: 17.00%17.00%Information and CultureInformation and Culture: 16.17%16.17%Federal Capital Territory AdministrationFederal Capital Territory Administration: 16.14%16.14%Humanitarian AffairsHumanitarian Affairs: 15.83%15.83%Health and Social WelfareHealth and Social Welfare: 15.83%15.83%InteriorInterior: 14.50%14.50%Industry, Trade and InvestmentIndustry, Trade and Investment: 14.50%14.50%Niger Delta AffairsNiger Delta Affairs: 14.50%14.50%TransportationTransportation: 14.50%14.50%Works and HousingWorks and Housing: 14.50%14.50%PowerPower: 13.00%13.00%Labour and EmploymentLabour and Employment: 13.00%13.00%Communications and Digital EconomyCommunications and Digital Economy: 10.50%10.50%Petroleum ResourcesPetroleum Resources: 8.00%8.00%Water ResourcesWater Resources: 5.00%5.00%Police AffairsPolice Affairs: 4.80%4.80%Mines and Steel DevelopmentMines and Steel Development: 4.21%4.21%Science, Technology and InnovationScience, Technology and Innovation: 4.00%4.00%Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentAgriculture and Rural Development: 2.50%2.50%Youth and Sports DevelopmentYouth and Sports Development: 0.00%0.00% No federal ministry scored above 34 percent in the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index Abia: 78.7%Borno: 59.6%FCT: 40.6%Akwa Ibom: 26.8%Ebonyi: 96.8%Ogun: 126.0%Cross River: 199.9%Imo: 95.4%Rivers: 61.0%Kogi: 86.8%Benue: 85.0%Ekiti: 110.9%Oyo: 57.7%Niger: 129.7%Lagos: 117.3%Anambra: 60.0%Osun: 98.3%Kano: 60.5%Gombe: 94.5%Edo: 168.4%Ondo: 47.0%Nasarawa: 60.2%Kebbi: 59.4%Bauchi: 184.7%Enugu: 51.8%Delta: 38.4%Zamfara: 57.4%Taraba: 81.0%Kwara: 60.5%Jigawa: 25.5%Yobe: 81.1%Katsina: 107.2%Plateau: 89.3%Sokoto: 87.1%Kaduna: 336.7%Bayelsa: 23.4%Adamawa: 116.6%Kaduna336.7%Cross River199.9%Bayelsa23.4% Ten states owe more than a full year's revenue

Analysis & Perspectives

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Global Affairs

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