The Senate on Thursday swiftly approved the sum of $2.209 billion, equivalent to N1.767 trillion, loan requested by President Bola Tinubu.
The approval comes barely forty-eight hours after the red chamber acknowledged receipt of the president’s letter.
Recall that on Tuesday, this week, President Tinubu had in separate letters to both chambers of the National Assembly sought approval of a N1.767 trillion loan as part funding of the N9.7 trillion deficit in the N28.7 trillion 2024 budget.
Accordingly, after receiving the president’s letter, the Senate urged its Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to review and work on the document, and report back to it in 24 hours.
Flowing from this, Senator Aliyu Wammako (APC: Sokoto North), who is the Chairman of the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts presented reports on the presidential request for approval.
Senator Wammako in the report, titled, ‘Implementation of new external borrowing of N1, 767, 610, 321, 779.00, equivalent to $2.209 billion in the 2024 Appropriation Act through the issuance of Eurobonds and other sources’, said the presidential request was very necessary for approval.
According to him, the requested loan is planned for execution of ongoing projects and programmed in the 2024 Appropriation Act which are critical for growth and development.
“It will contribute to the implementation of the Debt Management Strategy which seeks to reduce the cost of borrowing, lengthen the maturity of the public debt stock, free-up space in the domestic market for other borrowers and help increase Nigeria’s external reserves,” he explained.
He added that Nigeria could raise all or part of the new external borrowing of $2.21 billion through the issuance of Eurobonds in the International Capital Market (ICM).
That the issuance is for the part-financing of budget deficit.
The committee as presented by Senator Wammako recommended thus: “That the Senate do approve the implementation of the New External Borrowing of one trillion, seven hundred and sixty-seven billion, six hundred and ten million, three hundred twenty-one thousand, seven hundred and seventy-nine naira (N1,767, 610,321,779.00) (equivalent of USD2,209,512,902.22 billion) at the budget exchange rate of USD1.00/800 in the 2024 Appropriation Act and that the amount should be raised from one or more sources.
“Namely, issuance of Eurobonds in the ICM, issuance of debut sovereign Sukuk in the ICM, & bridge/syndicated loans, subject to market conditions.
“Based on availability and cost to issue Eurobonds in the sum of USD1.70 billion or more, but not more than USD2,209,512,902.22 billion, approved as new external borrowing in the 2024 Act.
“Given the significant increase in the official exchange rate from USD1.00/800 to approximately N1,640, it is recommended that the exchange rate excess resulting from this adjustment be exclusively utilised for implementation of capital projects in 2024.
“This will ensure that additional funds are directed to infrastructure & developmental projects that will contribute to the nation’s long-term growth and stability”.
The Senate after presentation of the report, expeditiously approved it at the committee of supply without any dissenting voice.
In his remarks after the approval, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session, commended the Wammako led committee for a job well done.
SOURCE: DAILYINDEPENDENT
