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By Chijioke Ohuocha
ABUJA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Nigeria plans to appoint advisers
for a $3.3 billion Eurobond issue through an open competitive
bid process and expects to complete an approval process for the
sale soon, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said on Friday.
The new Eurobond will be used to partly fund the
government's 2020 budget deficit and refinance an existing $500
million eurobond due in January next year, the DMO said.
"Whilst the approval process ... is expected to be completed
soon, transaction advisers ... will be through an open
competitive bidding process," the DMO said.
Citigroup C.N , Standard Chartered Bank STAN.L and local
firm FSDH Merchant Bank acted as financial advisers on the last
Eurobond sale.
Nigeria has been considering a dollar bond issuance after
staying away from the international debt market in 2019 due to
time constraints before the end of its budget cycle. The West African country held its last Eurobond sale in
2018, its sixth outing, where it raised $2.86 billion.
Nigeria's Eurobond plan comes after neighbouring Ghana sold
a $3 billion Eurobond last week that was five times
oversubscribed. Investors are seeking high-yielding debt despite
the possible impact that the outbreak of coronavirus in China
could have on its major trading partners in Africa. Nigeria has been borrowing to fund growth after a 2016
recession slashed income and weakened its currency. In December,
ratings agency Moody's downgraded Nigeria's outlook to negative
from stable, citing increased risk to government revenue.
The DMO says Nigeria is mindful of rising debt cost.
"The plan ... is to first maximize financing from relatively
cheaper concessional sources where available, and the balance,
if any, ... through the issuance of Eurobonds," the DMO said.