States paid a combined N455.38 billion as foreign debt service in 2025, up from N362.08 billion in 2024, according to an analysis of Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The year-on-year increase of N93.30 billion represents a 25.77% rise, indicating that a greater share of statutory allocations was deducted at source to meet external loan obligations. [...]