Nigeria, Oct. 18 -- The Federal Ministry of Finance has issued a sharp clarification regarding recent public commentary and analysis surrounding Nigeria's debt service obligations, describing reports that interest payments consumed 124% of government revenue in the first half of 2026 as "misleading."

In an official press release issued on Sunday from its headquarters in Abuja, the Ministry addressed headlines arising from the World Bank's October 2026 Nigeria Development Update, emphasizing that half-year figures provide an incomplete picture of the nation's true fiscal trajectory.

The Ministry pointed out that the reported interest payments include debt service incurred on behalf of subnational entities, such as external loans tak...