Reno Omokri Challenges Report, Insists Nigeria’s Debt Hit $113bn Before Tinubu Took Office
- Reno Omokri had disputed claims that Nigeria’s debt stood at $108.29 billion when President Bola Tinubu assumed office
- He had said that additional loans and the Ways and Means obligation raised the debt to $113 billion by June 2023
- Omokri urged Daily Trust to review its fact check and withdraw what he described as a misleading headline
Reno Omokri has argued that Nigeria’s total public debt was higher than widely reported before President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.
He placed the figure at $113 billion, insisting that claims suggesting a lower inherited debt were incomplete.
Source: Twitter
In a post on his official page, Omokri challenged a fact check published by Daily Trust, which cited Nigeria’s debt at $108.29 billion.
He maintained that the figure reflected the country’s obligations only as of March 31, 2023, based on quarterly data issued by the Debt Management Office.
Dispute over inherited debt figures
He said the March data could not accurately describe the liabilities handed over to Tinubu because the transition of power occurred nearly two months later.
According to Omokri, additional borrowing by the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari in the second quarter of 2023 was not captured in the earlier figures.
Omokri added that the numbers also failed to include the Ways and Means obligation, which he said came to light after the change of government.
He argued that these omissions significantly altered the true scale of the debt inherited by the current administration.
Dubawa data cited for clarity
To support his position, Omokri referenced a report by Dubawa, a verification platform under the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development.
Quoting the report, he said: “In the second quarter, which marks the beginning of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the total debt was N87 trillion ($113 billion). The total external debt stock was N33 trillion ($43 billion).
The federal government’s external debt was N29 trillion ($38 billion), while the external debt stock of states and FCT totalled N3 trillion ($4 billion).”
He urged the newspaper to recheck its figures and withdraw what he described as a misleading headline.
“I do note your anti-Tinubu stance; however, please verify this and take down this misleading and dishonest headline,” Omokri said.
The former presidential aide concluded that accurate debt reporting was essential for informed public debate and fair assessment of policy decisions.
Tinubu's govt gives mining companies deadline
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, had given mining and quarrying companies licensed by the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office until December 31, 2025, to conclude the Community Development Agreements with host communities.
that issued the deadline following the review of the performance of companies on the Community Development Agreement in the first six months of this year.
Source: Legit.ng
