World Bank locks Instagram comments after Nigerians’ overwhelming messages to halt approval of loan requests for Tinubu
The World Bank has restricted comments on its Instagram page after several Nigerians flooded the platform with appeals urging the institution to stop approving loan requests for the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The reaction followed reports two days ago that the federal government had intensified discussions with the World Bank over a fresh $1.25 billion loan aimed at supporting economic reforms and job creation.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s combined public debt for both federal and state governments rose to N159.27 trillion as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
On Tuesday, Tinubu disclosed that Nigeria would spend $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026.
The figure marks a sharp increase from the $5.21 billion spent on external debt servicing in 2025, based on data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The president noted that almost half of the country’s projected revenue for 2026 would be used to service debt under the present global financial structure.
Following a recent Instagram post by the financial institution, many Nigerians took to the comment section to urge the World Bank to stop lending to the country.
Several users accused the federal government of mismanaging funds intended to improve the economy.
Screenshots circulating online showed numerous comments from Nigerians lamenting worsening economic conditions, including soaring inflation, the effects of fuel subsidy removal, insecurity, unemployment, and deteriorating infrastructure.
“Dear @WorldBankGroup, why did you lock your comments section on Instagram? Nigerians are telling you to stop giving our Criminal Leaders Billions in Loans that only gets Stolen,” one user wrote.
Other commenters argued that continued borrowing could worsen Nigeria’s debt burden and encourage corruption among political elites instead of addressing widespread poverty affecting millions of citizens.
“They want to give so much loan that the country won’t be able to pay back, so they can control our resources,” another user wrote.
“Stop giving Tinubu loans, he is not using it for the citizens,” another comment read.
The World Bank has yet to issue an official statement on the backlash, although it has limited comments on the post.