Home News Senate approves Buhari’s request for $5.5bn foreign loan

Senate approves Buhari’s request for $5.5bn foreign loan

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The Senate has approved the request by President Muhammadu Buhari for the approval of the Executive’s plan to secure two external borrowings totalling $5.5bn.

The approval came after the Senate adopted a report by the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts at the plenary on Tuesday.

Buhari, in a letter dated October 4, 2017, had said the external borrowings had been captured in the 2017 Appropriation Act, which has a deficit of N2.356tn and provision for new borrowings of N2.321tn.

“Accordingly, the Senate is requested to kindly approve the following external borrowings: Issuance of $2.5bn in International Capital Market through Eurobonds or a combination of Eurobonds and Diaspora bonds for the financing of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s 2017 Appropriation Act and capital expenditure projects in the Act.

“Issuance of Eurobond in the ICM and/or loans syndication by the banks in the sum of $3bn for refinancing of maturing domestic debts obligations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, while looking forward to the timely approval of the National Assembly to enable Nigerians take advantage of these opportunities for funding,” part of the letter.