Market women, university students and civil society groups have staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance over Nigeria’s rising debt profile and the federal government’s continued borrowing.
The protesters reportedly arrived at the ministry’s premises as early as 9am, urging the government to reconsider further borrowing and calling on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to halt additional loans to Nigeria.
Chanting slogans and calling on international financial institutions to “let Nigeria breathe,” the demonstrators argued that continued borrowing was increasing the economic burden on Nigerians.
One of the protesters questioned how Nigeria could effectively address the climate crisis while continuing to accumulate more debt.
The groups expressed concern about the implications of the country’s mounting debt for citizens and the wider economy, urging the government to explore alternative sources of financing and prioritise policies that would reduce economic hardship.
The demonstration comes amid growing civil society criticism of Nigeria’s debt management and borrowing policies.
According to a recent report by the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s total public debt rose marginally from N159.28 trillion at the end of December 2025 to N159.35 trillion as of March 31, 2026.
The increase represents a net rise of approximately N71.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026.
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