The Senate has approved the Federal Government’s request for a $6.1 billion

(N2.343 trillion) loan request.

The Senate gave the approval on Wednesday after it considered a report from

its Committee on Local and Foreign Debt which it earlier directed to work

on the loan request.

Presenting the report on the floor during plenary, the Chairman of the

committee, Senator Clifford Ordia said the request is not new as it was

approved in the borrowing plan when the National Assembly passed the 2021

budget noting that it would be used to fund the budget deficit.

President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier in May asked the National Assembly

to approve the loan request, saying it would be raised from multilateral

and bilateral tenders as well as the international capital market.

The Committee recommended that the Senate approves Buhari’s request for the

issuance of $3,000,000,000 but not more than $6,183,081,643.40 Eurobond in

the International Capital Market.

The External Borrowing of N2,343,387,942,848, according to the panel,

should be for the financing of part of the deficit authorised in the 2021

Appropriation Act.

The Committee also recommended that the Senate should approve that the

amount authorised may be raised from multiple sources such as the

International Capital Market and any other Multilateral or Bilateral

sources as may be available. (Channels TV)

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