The Federal Government’s spending on personnel costs and debt servicing exceeded total revenues in 2022, the World Bank has stated.
It disclosed this in the June 2023 edition of the Nigeria Development Update.
According to the Washington-based bank, this was the first time the Federal Government’s personnel costs and debt servicing surpassed its total revenue.
The bank added that as a result of this, spending on capital expenditures weakened.
Personnel costs and interest payments on loans made up 59 per cent of the government’s total expenditures.
The Federal Government spent 102 per cent of its revenues on personnel costs and interest payments during the period under review.
The report read, “The quality of spending weakened in the face of financing constraints and mounting debt. Capital expenditures have been volatile, including steep contractions such as in 2022 when fiscal pressure was acute, making it more difficult to close Nigeria’s large infrastructure gap and weighing on future growth. Overall, the rigidity of expenditure has increased, squeezing fiscal space for the discretionary spending needed to meet development objectives.