ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government raised N100 billion through the Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund (UFTF) in 2025, formally integrating unclaimed private assets into the nation’s domestic borrowing framework, according to data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on April 20, 2026.
Okay News reports that the DMO’s domestic debt stock report for the period ending December 31, 2025, lists the instrument as “UFTF FGN Security” with a balance of N100 billion, accounting for approximately 0.12 percent of total domestic debt.
Total Federal Government domestic debt stood at N80.49 trillion as of the reporting date. FGN Bonds remained the dominant instrument at N63.63 trillion, representing 79.06 percent of the total stock. Treasury Bills followed with N13.85 trillion, or 17.21 percent.
Promissory Notes accounted for N1.54 trillion, Sukuk bonds stood at N1.19 trillion, while Savings Bonds and Green Bonds contributed 0.13 percent and 0.08 percent respectively.
The UFTF structure was established under the Finance Act 2020, which created a legal pathway for the government to warehouse unclaimed dividends of listed companies and dormant bank account balances that have remained inactive for years.
The National Debt Management Framework 2023–2027 states that the fund is managed by the Debt Management Office in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) . Any investment of these funds in Federal Government securities is recognised as part of public debt.
Beneficiaries retain full rights to reclaim both principal and any accrued returns within specified timelines once claims are made. Banks are required to disclose such balances publicly under existing guidelines.
The policy has faced criticism from civil society and market stakeholders who argue that the use of private funds for public borrowing raises governance and trust concerns.
 in 2025, formally integrating unclaimed private assets into the nation's domestic borrowing framework, according to data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on April 20, 2026.){kind=link}