The World Bank has restricted comments on its Instagram page after Nigerians flooded the platform with reactions opposing plans by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to secure a fresh $1.25 billion loan facility.
The restriction followed growing online criticism from Nigerians who urged the global financial institution to stop approving additional loans for the country amid rising debt levels and worsening economic hardship.
Reports indicate that the Federal Government is currently in advanced discussions with the World Bank over a proposed facility known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration programme.
The loan is expected to support economic reforms, electricity expansion, digital infrastructure, agriculture, and job creation initiatives. Approval for the facility is reportedly scheduled for June 26, 2026.
The timing of the proposed approval has also sparked debate online, as it is expected to come barely six months before the January 16, 2027 presidential election, based on the revised timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
If approved, the proposed $1.25 billion facility would become the second-largest World Bank loan secured under the Tinubu administration, behind the $1.5 billion economic reform support package approved in June 2024.
At the current official exchange rate of about ₦1,361.4 to one dollar, the loan is estimated at roughly ₦1.70 trillion.
Following reports of the planned borrowing, many Nigerians took to the World Bank’s Instagram page to express concerns over the country’s rising debt burden, inflation, naira depreciation, subsidy removal, and increasing cost of living.
Several users criticised the continuous accumulation of foreign loans, arguing that ordinary Nigerians were already struggling economically.
Amid the backlash, users observed that comments on some World Bank Instagram posts had been restricted, with notices stating: “Comments on this post have been limited.”
The development has further intensified public conversations around Nigeria’s debt profile, transparency in government borrowing, and the long-term impact of external loans on the economy.
