The N159 trn question: When borrowing becomes betrayal

By Moshood OshunfurewaThere is a certain tragedy in watching a nation articulate its own contradictions in public. On one hand, the Debt Management Office tells us Nigeria’s total public debt stood at N159.35 trillion as of March 2026. On the other, the Federal Government insists that borrowings under President Bola Tinubu are “nowhere near” the N80 trillion being bandied about by commentators. The diagnosis is correct – Nigeria has a debt problem. The prescription,