The Federal Executive Council has approved a $2.2 billion financing programme for external borrowing, including a potential Eurobond and Sukuk bond offer.

Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, announced this while briefing journalists after the FEC meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“We just had the Federal Executive Council meeting, and I am privileged to present two memoranda to the Federal Executive Council. The first one was to complete the borrowing programme of the federal government in terms of external borrowing with the approval of a $2.2 billion financing programme.

“It is made up of access to the international capital market for some combination of the Euro bond offer and the Sukuk bond offer, and perhaps a Euro bond of about $1.7 billion.

“Sukuk financing of another $500 million, the actual makeup of the financing which will be done as soon as the National Assembly has considered and hopefully approved the borrowing plan. If the external borrowing approval is given, it will be done this year, as soon as possible after approval.”

He explained that the actual combination of instruments that would be raised would depend on what the advisors would say about market conditions at the time of the decision to enter the market.

“Of course, earlier in the year, we had shown the resilience of the Nigerian financial markets, and the depth of their capacity, the increased complexity and sophistication by having a domestic issuance of dollar bonds, which attracted Nigerian investors from far and wide.

“Likewise, being able to access the international capital market is also a sign of the acceptance and the support for the macroeconomic programmes of President Bola Tinubu-led administration,” he said.

The minister said that the economic recovery and revival programme to turn around the economy focused on macroeconomic pillars of market pricing of the PMS and of foreign exchange. He also disclosed that FEC had approved the Ministry of Finance’s incorporated real estate investment fund.

According to him, the fund is the basis for the revival and the return of long-term mortgage financing to the Nigerian economy.

“The Morph Real Estate Investment Fund is going to be, in the first instance, a N250 billion fund that will provide low-cost and long-term mortgages to Nigerians that want to acquire houses,” the finance minister explained.

Mr Edun stressed that it would help to complete or help fill part of the gaping 22 million unit housing deficit, create jobs and stimulate economic growth.

“It will also pave the way for other investors in the private sector to come in and participate in the all-important housing construction industry with huge benefits and knock-on effects throughout the whole economy.

“Long-term investors have the opportunity to earn market rates of interest on investment. This is going to be blended with seed funding of N150 billion,” he said.

(NAN)