The Federal Government has planned to raise about N471 billion in new debt capital from the domestic capital market this quarter as the government begins fundraising to bridge the 2022 budget deficit of about N6.39 trillion.
The provisional debt issuance calendar of the government at the weekend showed that it will raise about N471 billion through short to long-term ordinary bonds and low-end retail savings bonds.
According to the issuance plan, the first auction for ordinary short-to- long term bonds will take place this Wednesday, the same settlement date for the January 2022 issuance of the monthly Federal Government of Nigeria Savings Bonds (FGNSBs), which application closed at the weekend.
The February 2022 issuance programme will be repeated in March 2022 to raise between N140 billion and N160 billion through reopening of the 12.50 per cent FGN January 2026 bond and the 20-year January 2042 bond.
The Federal Government plans to spend N17.13 trillion under the 2022 national budget, 18 per cent higher than the 2021 budget. This includes recurrent, non-debt, expenditure of N6.91 trillion or 40 per cent of total expenditure, and capital expenditure of N5.96 trillion or 35 per cent of total expenditure.
Debt servicing is estimated at N3.61 trillion, about 21 per cent of total expenditure or 34 percent of total revenue projection.
However, the government projected total revenue of N10.74 trillion in 2022, leaving a deficit of N6.39 trillion. The government is expected to issue additional Eurobonds and domestic bonds, including its raving Sukuk bond
The DMO showed that Nigeria’s public debt stock stood at N38.01 trillion in the third quarter of 2021. External debt stood at N15.57 trillion or 41 per cent of total public debt while domestic debt stood at N22.43 trillion or 59 per cent of total public debt.
Both the government and private sector experts agreed that Nigeria will remain significantly dependent on borrowings to finance its budget in the meantime
“We do not see any respite to debt accumulation over the medium term, given our expectation that increased borrowings will be required to plug the rising fiscal deficit. Our prognosis is hinged on continued revenue underperformance relative to the budget and persistent increase in expenditure,” Cordros Capital stated.
DMO Director-General, Patience Oniha had said that as a result of poor performance in revenue, there would be increasing borrowing.
According to her, much as the government has been conservative in projecting revenues, it will still be underperforming in revenue.
“So, it means that we are relying increasingly on borrowings to finance the activities of government;” Oniha said.
