Buhari Seeks Reps Approval for Fresh $1.2 billion Loan From Brazil

Buhari Proposes N16.4tn Budget For 2022,
Buhari Proposes N16.4tn Budget For 2022,

The federal government has requested the National Assembly to approve its $1.2 billion agricultural financing loan application. Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, met with members of the house committee on finance to defend the ministry’s budget, where she presented the request on behalf of the Federal Government.

Nigeria’s total public debt stock, which comprises that of the three tiers of government, stood at N31.009 trillion at the end of June 2020.

Ahmed said the loan would be taken from the Brazilian government to provide funds for mechanised farming.

“For borrowing to improve industry, I request for the approval for loan that we call the green imperative programme which is for loan of $1.2bn from the Brazilian government,” she said.

“It is a programme that is addressing the whole of agricultural value chain from mechanisation, production, processing and selling. It is meant to lend to businessmen for tractors, plants at all levels.”

Read also: Nigeria’s Debt Profile Projected To Reach ₦38.68 trillion By December 2021 – Zainab Ahmed 

‘MAMBILLA POWER PROJECT OMITTED FROM 2021 BUDGET’

The minister stated that the Mambilla hydropower project, projected to be a 3,050-megawatt facility, was omitted from the proposed 2021 financial appropriation.

The 3,050-megawatt project estimated at $5.8 billion is the biggest plant in the country but has been stalled for many years owing to legal and funding crises.

In March, the federal government agreed to pay $200 million to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) as final settlement of the dispute over the Mambilla project.

Ahmed, however, told the House committee that the ministry of power did not include it in its budget proposal submitted to the finance ministry.

“The ministry of finance, budget and national planning, based on the MTEF that you have passed, put in the cost cycle, the budget ceiling for every ministry,” she said.

“They are now expected to make their budget within that ceiling. The ministry of power didn’t have Mambilla in their submission.

“We do not provide programmes that go into budget for ministries, departments and agencies.”