Top Twenty African Countries with IMF Loans
While YouTube sources typically focus on the top ten, let’s compile a more extensive list using multiple references.
YouTube Insight
Africa Revealed’s video—“10 African Countries with the Highest Debt to the IMF in 2024”—highlights nations like Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa as major borrowers.YouTube
Data-Derived Ranking (Top 15)
Drawing on BusinessDay, Business Insider Africa, AfricaViewFacts, and NaijaNews, here’s an updated and expanded ranking:
| Rank | Country | IMF Debt (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt | $8.6–10.2 billion |
| 2 | Kenya | $3.02 billion |
| 3 | Angola | $2.9 billion |
| 4 | Côte d’Ivoire | $2.6–2.74 billion |
| 5 | Ghana | $2.4–2.51 billion |
| 6 | Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) | $1.79–1.9 billion |
| 7 | Ethiopia | $1.31–1.42 billion |
| 8 | South Africa | $1.14–1.9 billion |
| 9 | Senegal | $1.02–1.14 billion |
| 10 | Cameroon | $1.10–1.18 billion |
| 11 | Tanzania | $1.01 billion |
| 12 | Zambia | ~$1 billion (below list) |
| 13 | Uganda | ~$1 billion range |
| 14 | Morocco | ~$1 billion |
| 15 | Benin | ~$0.7 billion |
Sources:
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BusinessDay’s 2025 top 10 listBusinessday NG
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Business Insider Africa’s Q3 2024 figuresBusiness Insider Africa
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AfricaViewFacts May 2025 expanded listAfrica View Facts
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Nigeria’s IMF Loan Status 
Despite not appearing in some top-ten lists, Nigeria has had significant borrowing and full repayment history.
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Current IMF Debt: As of April 30, 2025, Nigeria owes SDR 125.99 million in interest and charges—which, at N2,180 per SDR, equals around ₦274.66 billion.saharareporters.com
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Principal Loan: In 2020, Nigeria received an IMF disbursement of SDR 2.454 billion. Repayments began in 2023.saharareporters.com
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Historical Borrowings: Nigeria had an outstanding IMF credit of roughly $2.1477 billion as of mid-2023, participating in five IMF arrangements since 1986.Wikipedia
Thus: Nigeria ** currently owes only interest/charges**, and the principal has been serviced.
Nigeria’s Total National Debt (Q1 2025)
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Total Public Debt: ₦149.39 trillion as of March 31, 2025 (about a 22.8% year-on-year increase).Nairametrics
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This includes both domestic and external debts, across federal and state levels.
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Breakdown as of mid-2023:
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Domestic: $70.3 billion
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External: $43.2 billionWikipedia
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Summary
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Africa’s leading IMF debtors: Egypt tops the list (>$8B), followed by Kenya, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and others.
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Nigeria and the IMF: Principal has been repaid, but Nigeria still owes ~SDR 126 million (~₦275 billion) in charges and interest.
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Total National Debt (Nigeria): About ₦149.4 trillion (~$70B domestic + $43B external).