The Osun State Government has responded to a report from the National Bureau of Statistics listing Osun as number ten among states with high debt service payments.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the state Government clarified that the apparent rise in the monthly loan repayment on the State’s foreign loan is not as a result of any new borrowing but a consequence of the nation’s weak currency following the devaluation of Naira.
According to the commissioner, the NBS report picked by opposition platform noted that “Osun State, located in Nigeria’s southwest, is culturally known for the Osun-Osogbo Festival. In 2024, Osun recorded N3.4 billion in external debt service costs, up from N1.57 billion in 2023. This represents an increase of N1.83 billion or about 116%”
In response, Alimi said “The public would kindly recall that repayment on foreign loans is usually done based on the prevailing exchange rate of the local currency (Naira) to the US$ Dollar.
“It is also important to put on record that Osun state was plunged into high local and foreign indebtedness in the 12 years of APC government in the state.
“As the repayment is done in line with prevailing rate, there is an increase in the naira value of monthly loan repayment on foreign loans portfolio of all the States of the Federation.
“The inevitable increase, therefore, is not only peculiar to Osun, rather, it is applicable to all the States and the Federal government”.
He also assured the public that the state financial management is responsible and sustainable without any new indebtedness.
