The Federal Government has disclosed that N3.36tn has been allocated for fuel subsidy in 2023 as Nigeria’s debt profile hits $102bn.
The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, made this disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja while adding that the 2023 budget proposal has a budget deficit of 10.78 trillion naira.
She said this will be funded through domestic and multilateral borrowings and proceeds from privatisation.
According to her, of Nigeria’s $102bn debt, 35% is foreign and 65% is domestic, adding that the current public debt is at 23% of the country’s gross domestic product.
The minister also said the 2023 budget also factored in 17.16% inflation.
According to her, the draft 2023 budget has been prepared on the background of international challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic, adding that revenue generation has been a major challenge to national development in the country.
On the allocations for critical sectors, she said the sum of 2.05 trillion naira is allocated to education and 1.58 trillion naira for health.
She added that 2.74 trillion naira is allocated to defense and security, infrastructure got 998.9 billion naira while social development and poverty reduction has 756 billion naira.
