Nigeria received roughly $2.6 billion in loans and credits from the World Bank in 2025, according to a review of official financing records and project approvals.
The borrowing came at a time when many developing economies are grappling with rising debt pressures. Data from the Debt Management Office shows that Nigeria’s external debt climbed to about $47 billion by June 2025, compared with $45.97 billion in the first quarter of the year.
An assessment of the World Bank Group’s financing portal indicates that the Federal Government accessed about $2.63 billion during the year, largely through concessional funding from the International Development Association (IDA), with a smaller share sourced from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
The funds were directed at priority areas such as education, health, digital infrastructure, social protection, support for displaced persons and improved access to finance for small businesses.
Although the 2025 figure represents a significant drop from the $4.25 billion approved in 2024, it is broadly in line with the $2.7 billion recorded in 2023.
A major portion of the approvals came in March 2025, when the World Bank endorsed a $1.08 billion human capital package covering three projects.
These included additional financing of $500 million for the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, which focuses on food security, livelihood support and grants for vulnerable households.
Another $80 million was approved for a nutrition programme aimed at improving coordinated nutrition services nationwide, while $500 million was allocated to an education initiative designed to strengthen basic learning outcomes and foundational skills.
Further approvals followed later in the year. In August, Nigeria received $300 million for a project targeting improved services and economic opportunities for internally displaced persons and host communities, particularly in the northern part of the country.
This was followed in September by a $250 million health security facility to strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory systems and emergency preparedness, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
In October, the World Bank approved $500 million for a digital infrastructure project intended to expand Nigeria’s fibre-optic network to about 125,000 kilometres, improving connectivity for homes, schools, health centres and local governments.
The final approval of the year came in December, when $500 million was cleared for a programme aimed at expanding access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises.
The facility combines $400 million from the IBRD and $100 million from IDA and places special emphasis on women-led businesses and agribusinesses through the Development Bank of Nigeria and credit guarantee schemes.
By contrast, Nigeria’s World Bank approvals surged in 2024, driven largely by policy-based loans linked to economic reforms, including a $1.5 billion programme supporting macroeconomic stabilisation.
Additional financing that year covered healthcare, power, irrigation, rural access and governance reforms.
