The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed outrage over the Federal Government’s borrowing spree, describing it as “fiscal vandalism.”
The party was reacting to a fresh foreign borrowing of $21 billion approved for the administration by the National Assembly last week.
In a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party cautioned that the wave of borrowing could drive Nigeria’s public debt beyond ₦200 trillion before the end of the year.
The opposition coalition observed that there was no corresponding development or economic revival to justify the borrowing spree.
It accused President Bola Tinubu of surpassing his predecessor by mortgaging the country’s future in mountains of debts in the name of economic reform.
The party also slammed the National Assembly for acting as a rubber stamp, saying lawmakers had abdicated their duty of protecting Nigerians from the consequences of unsustainable debt.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply concerned by the Tinubu administration’s dangerous obsession with borrowing.
“What Nigerians are witnessing, following the approval of a fresh $21 billion in foreign loans, is nothing short of a calculated decision to mortgage the country’s future just to cover up the failures of today.
“Under President Buhari, Nigeria borrowed an average of N4.7 trillion per year, and even that caused widespread concern. But under President Tinubu, borrowing has jumped to N49.8 trillion per year.
“In just two years, this administration has borrowed more than ten times what Buhari borrowed in the same timeframe. At this rate, Nigeria’s total public debt will crash through N200 trillion before the end of the year.
“We are speeding toward a financial cliff, and those in charge seem to have no brakes, thinking they can borrow their way out of economic problems that require more thoughtful actions and greater fiscal discipline.
“Supporters of this government like to argue that Tinubu’s borrowing is smaller in dollar terms, just $1.7 billion annually, compared to Buhari’s $4.15 billion,” the statement said.
The party said with the Naira in free fall against foreign currencies, there are no arguments to justify the mountain of debts.
The ADC slammed the administration for what it described its poor police choices, stressing that the loans are costing the country far more.
“When converted to naira, Tinubu’s foreign borrowing amounts to N25.5 trillion every year, more than Buhari’s annual average of N2.2 trillion.
“What we are witnessing is the deepening of a debt trap created by economic mismanagement and a collapsed currency.
“Since the APC took over in 2015, our total public debt has grown from N12.6 trillion to over N149 trillion in 2025. Over $35 billion has been borrowed from external lenders alone in the last decade of the APC.
“This is nearly twelve times more in just ten years. Our debt to the World Bank has tripled. What we owe in Eurobonds has grown eleven times over. And now, this government wants to borrow even more, pushing our foreign debt ceiling to $67 billion.
“This reckless borrowing, repeated year after year, with no plan to repay it, and no effort to use it productively, will leave our children repaying debts that they did not incur or benefit from.
“The debts have continued to mount, but infrastructure have remained poor, universities are still grossly underfunded, hospitals are still ill-equipped and electricity supply is as poor as ever.
“So, what exactly are these loans used for? This is the question that Nigerians expect the National Assembly to ask. Instead, it has continued to approve these loans without asking the hard questions, without demanding a plan, and without standing up for the Nigerian people.”
Quoting the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, the ADC said the cost of Tinubu’s borrowing is already crushing the very backbone of the nation’s economy.
The party further lamented that small businesses can no longer access credit, while investors are losing confidence and pulling out.
It observed that over 60 percent of the national income is now being used to service debt, regretting that the government is now turning to ordinary Nigerian families, taxing them beyond their limits.
It said while other countries are fighting to reduce their debts, the APC administration is taking out more loans.
The argued that the recent devaluation of the Naira should have reduced the need for external borrowing, but instead, the government has treated it as an excuse to borrow even more.
The ADC demanded a full disclosure of all loan agreements signed over the past ten years by the APC and the Tinubu government.
“Nigerians have a right to know the terms, interest rates, payment timelines, and final recipients of the loans.
“We also call on President Tinubu to put an end to this fiscal recklessness, and focus instead on meaningful reform, by investing wisely, and spending responsibly. The era of borrowing to cover policy failures must come to an end.”
