External Debt and Economic Performance in Nigeria: An ARDL Approach.

This study examines the impact of external debt on Nigeria economic performance using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag ( ADRL) approach. The analyses covers key macroeconomic indicators such as GDP growth, debt servicing, and external borrowing over a selected period of time. findings reveal that while external debt has the potential to support economic growth , excessive debt accumulation and high debt servicing costs have had a negative effect on Nigeria's economic performance in the long run. the ARDL results confirm both short and long term relationships between external debt and economic performance . The study recommends improved debt management strategies and efficient utilization of borrowed funds to ensure sustainable growth.