Nigeria to begin repayment of $800m W’Bank loan in 2027

Nigeria to begin repayment of $800m W’Bank loan in 2027

Nigeria will begin its repayment of the $800m World Bank loan received as subsidy palliative in 2027.

The PUNCH reports that the loan will be repaid over a 25-year period.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed last week that the Federal Government had secured $800m from the World Bank to provide post-petroleum subsidy palliatives for over 50 million Nigerians.

The FG is expected to stop granting fuel subsidy from June 2023. But the labour has vowed to resist the move.

The World Bank loan, according to the report, is meant to expand the coverage of shock-responsive safety net support among the poor and vulnerable.

The financing agreement document obtained by the newspaper showed the payment dates as January 15 and July 15 in each year, starting from January 15, 2027, with payments in dollars.

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The repayment will be made in instalments, with the first payment due on January 15, 2027, and the last payment due on July 15, 2051.

The document was signed by the Nigerian finance minister and the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, on August 16, 2022.

It revealed that the loan was concessional financing.

ccording to the World Bank, concessional finance is below-market-rate finance provided by major financial institutions.

The $800m loan is said to attract a maximum commitment charge rate of one-half of one per cent per annum on the Unwithdrawn Financing Balance, and a service charge of three-fourths of one per cent per annum on the withdrawn credit balance.

It also disclosed that the interest charge is one and a quarter per cent per annum on the withdrawn credit balance.

Also, a percentage of the principal amount of the loan is expected alongside the other charges, and this will increase over time.

While the first payment will be 1.65 per cent of the principal amount, the last payment will be 3.40 per cent of the principal amount.