World Bank Restricts Instagram Comments Amid Nigerians’ Backlash Over Tinubu’s Fresh $1.25billion Loan -

The World Bank has restricted comments on its Instagram page following a barrage of reactions from Nigerians opposing plans by President Bola Tinubu’s government to secure a fresh $1.25billion loan facility.

The move came after Nigerians flooded the World Bank’s social media platforms with messages urging the institution to halt further lending to Nigeria over fears of rising debt and worsening economic hardship in the country.

Report had claimed that the Nigerian Government is currently in advanced talks with the World Bank over a proposed loan facility aimed at funding economic reforms, electricity expansion, digital infrastructure, agriculture and job-creation programmes.

The proposed facility, named “Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration,” is expected to be presented for approval on June 26, 2026.

The timing of the proposed approval has also triggered reactions online, as it is expected to come barely six months and 21 days before the January 16, 2027 presidential election, based on the revised timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

If approved, the $1.25billion facility would become the second-largest single loan secured from the World Bank under the Tinubu administration, behind the $1.5billion Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation Development Policy Financing approved in June 2024.

At the official exchange rate of N1,361.4 to one dollar, the proposed facility amounts to approximately N1.70trillion, underscoring the scale of external borrowing being pursued by the Federal Government amid ongoing economic reforms and mounting fiscal pressures.

Several Nigerian netizens reportedly took to the platform to criticise the continued accumulation of foreign loans, with many warning that ordinary citizens were already struggling under the weight of inflation, subsidy removal, naira depreciation and rising living costs.

Following the backlash, users noticed that comment access on some posts on the World Bank’s Instagram page had been restricted, preventing further public reactions.

The posts read: “Comments on this post have been limited.”

The development comes amid growing public scrutiny of Nigeria’s debt profile and concerns over the transparency and impact of successive loans obtained by the Federal Government under the Tinubu administration.