President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has defended his administration’s decision to continue borrowing, insisting that debt is necessary for national development.
Speaking during a recent engagement with stakeholders, the President said his government will not hesitate to take loans as long as they are used for productive projects that benefit the country.
“If we have to borrow money, we will, because borrowing is not leprosy; we just have to work hard to be able to repay it. The focus should not just be on borrowing, but on how we use the funds and our ability to repay through productivity,” he stated.
He dismissed the negative perception surrounding Nigeria’s rising debt profile, stressing that borrowing is a common global practice for countries aiming to grow their economies.
Tinubu added that his administration is focused on using borrowed funds to build infrastructure and create a stronger economic foundation that can comfortably handle repayments.
The remarks come amid the fresh proposed $516 million loan tied to the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway project, one of the flagship initiatives under the current administration that have sparked concern nationwide.
Watch the video below…
“If we have to borrow money, we will, because borrowing is not leprosy; we just have to work hard to be able to repay it” — President Tinubu pic.twitter.com/ul59EhH725
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) April 29, 2026
