Do You Know That You Can Lend Money to the Government?
Hello, my people!
Welcome back. Yes, you read the title right. It’s not some click bait. This one na obonge information, absolutely trustworthy facts.
Here’s how it works:
You give your money to the government for a set amount of time, usually a short period. And when the set time is reached, you get your money back with an addition, aka, interest.
This is achieved via something called Treasury Bills. Popularly known in the finance industry as T-Bills, Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTB) are short-term government debt securities issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FGN) to finance government expenditures.
In other words: when you buy a treasury bill, you’re lending money to the central bank for a short duration after which you’d get your money back with interest.
The duration or tenor of treasury bills is short-term, not more than one year. Hence, you can be assured that your money will get back to you in no time with your interest.
The options for your investment tenor can either be:
- 91 days (three months)
- 182 days (six months) or
- 364 days (one year)
Investing in treasury bills can be done in two main ways:
- Primary market, which is the Central Bank of Nigeria directly. The minimum amount you can lend in is 50 million naira. Yes, you heard that right. This option is usually covered by big scale entrepreneurs who want to earn extra on their capital.
- Secondary market: This is the most popular option. I’ll be focusing on this. As a student, hustler or young adult who’s just figuring it out, this option is safest. It is pretty affordable. The initial minimum investment amount is N100k and then you can do N10k or more consecutively.
There is a plethora of options to choose from when buying treasury bills in the secondary market, and you need to be smart in your selection. This is why I am here to help.
Basically, you can either buy from commercial banks or digital financial investment apps. These platforms purchase from the primary market, allowing you to access treasury bills through the secondary market.
The best banks to purchase from are Stanbic IBTC, Access Bank, GTBank and First Bank. Furthermore, there are trustworthy digital apps including i-invest, Zedcrest, Piggyvest, Cowrywise, Bamboo, and Ladda.
I personally recommend Ladda because I use it, too. Ladda is a fintech platform that is designed to make low-risk, government-backed investments accessible to users.
So, you can access T-Bills on Ladda (getladda.com) by downloading the Ladda app via App Store or Google Play.
You see, it’s very simple, right??
Absolutely! Till we meet again. Until then, make sure to start investing in T-Bills./
SHORT BIO
Azimat is a young woman in her early twenties and a tertiary-level medical student. She is as captivated by science as she is inspired by art. A passionate storyteller, she crafts narratives that explore coming-of-age journeys, diversity and inclusion, and family dynamics woven into broader societal intrigue—often set against the rich backdrop of Nigerian culture. Beyond her creative work, Azimat is a committed advocate for women’s rights, particularly in the areas of financial independence, gynaecological health, mental health awareness, and support for neurodivergent and disabled individuals.
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