Transportation accounts for 65% of Nigeria’s loans from China

Key takeaways

  • Transportation received $6.2 billion dollars, which accounts for 65% of all Chinese loans to Nigeria
  • Energy projects received $1.2 billion, highlighting China’s role in Nigeria’s power infrastructure
  • Industry and trade/services had the least funding at $368.2 million dollars, reflecting lower Chinese loan priorities in these areas
  • China’s loans to Nigeria between 2000 and 2023 have largely focused on infrastructure development, particularly in transportation and energy

Between 2000 and 2023, Nigeria received significant loans from China, with transportation taking the lion’s share at $6.2 billion dollars—65% of total funding. Information & Communication Technology followed with $1.4 billion dollars, while energy projects attracted $1.2 billion dollars.

Water supply and industry/trade services received comparatively lower amounts at $381.1 million dollars and $368.2 million dollars, respectively. These figures highlight China’s strategic focus on Nigeria’s infrastructure, particularly in transportation and energy sectors.

Source:

Boston University Global Development Policy Center

Period:

2000-2023
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Nigeria set to clear IMF debt by mid-2025 after reducing outstanding balance by 87.5% from March 2023 to March 2025
Key Takeaways:
  • Nigeria’s outstanding debt to the IMF has reduced from SDR 2.45 billion in March 2023 to SDR 306.81 million by March 2025.
  • The country has maintained a consistent quarterly repayment pattern, averaging SDR 306.8 million.
  • This steady repayment trend reflects Nigeria’s commitment to managing its external obligations.
  • At the current repayment rate, Nigeria is positioned to fully clear its IMF obligations by mid-2025.
As of March 31, 2025, the top five countries accounted for 57% of total IMF credit outstanding
Key Takeaways:  
  • Argentina tops the list with SDR 31.1 billion in outstanding IMF credit.
  • The top three borrowers, Argentina, Ukraine, and Egypt, together hold over 45% of total IMF credit.
  • All 15 countries on the list have outstanding credit of at least SDR 1.4 billion.
  • African nations such as Kenya, Angola, Ghana, and Ethiopia rank among the top 15 IMF debtors.
  • The top 10 countries alone account for more than two-thirds of the IMF’s total outstanding credit.
Egypt accounts for one-third of over SDR 26 billion owed by Africa’s top 10 IMF debtors
Key Takeaways:
  • Egypt leads African nations in IMF debt, with SDR 8.63 billion in outstanding credit.
  • The combined debt of these 10 countries represents 24% of the IMF’s total outstanding credit globally.
  • East African nations, Kenya and Ethiopia, hold a combined SDR 4.5 billion in IMF credit.
  • West Africa is strongly represented with Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon owing more than SDR 7.4 billion collectively.
The cost of borrowing in Africa is increasing, with 27.5% of government revenue going towards debt interest
  • Africa now spends 27.5% of revenue on interest payments, nearly 4 times higher than in 2008.
  • The debt burden is rising faster than economic growth as interest payments as a percentage of GDP grew from 5.4% in 2008 to 8.2% in 2024, showing increasing financial strain.
  • Effective interest rates have more than tripled from 1.4% in 2008 to 5.0% in 2024, making debt less affordable.
  • Between 2008 and 2019, the ratio of interest to revenue rose by 12.2 percentage points, and in five years (2019–2024), it surged by another 8.5 percentage points.
  • As borrowing costs rise, the risk of defaults and fiscal crises in African economies grows, making financial stability a concern.
  • More money spent on debt means less for roads, hospitals, and schools, slowing down long-term economic progress.
South Africa issued $3.5B in Eurobonds in 2024, accounting for 25.6% of the total $13.65B issued by African countries
  • South Africa issued $3.5 billion, making up over a quarter (25.6%) of all issuances on the continent.
  • South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria issued $8.3 billion, accounting for 61% of Africa’s total Eurobond issuance in 2024.
  • Despite economic uncertainties, Nigeria remains an active player in international markets, issuing $2.2 billion in Eurobonds.
  • Francophone West Africa has a strong presence as Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Benin collectively issued $4.4 billion, highlighting their growing role in Africa’s debt markets.
  • At $0.75 billion and $0.55 billion, respectively, Benin and Cameroon still secured external financing, but at significantly lower levels than their larger counterparts.
A total of 8 African countries have issued the sum of $15.7B in Eurobonds in thirteen months (Jan '24 - Jan '25)
  • African countries issued a total of $15.7 billion in Eurobonds, demonstrating continued reliance on external debt markets.
  • While the first ten months totaled $6.2 billion, November and December alone added $7.5 billion, marking a sharp increase.
  • The total issuance jumped from $6.2 billion in October to $10 billion in November and then $13.7 billion in December, showing a drastic shift in borrowing.
  • Eight African countries drove this activity, as the borrowing is concentrated among key economies.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved