Nigeria’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad are facing mounting financial and operational challenges, with unpaid rents and salary arrears crippling their operations.
The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government admitted to the crisis on Monday, citing budgetary shortfalls and foreign exchange policy changes as key factors behind the strain.
In a statement signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government acknowledged that many missions have been unable to pay salaries of locally recruited staff, allowances for home-based officers, and rents owed to landlords and service providers.
According to the statement, the ministry is not unaware of the restrictions that financial limitations have placed on the smooth running of the missions, including the inability to pay salaries of locally recruited staff, financial obligations to service providers, rent to landlords, and the foreign service allowance to home-based officers.
Ebienfa noted that years of inadequate funding have undermined the capacity of Nigerian missions to carry out core diplomatic duties effectively, adding that the situation reflects the broader economic realities confronting the country.
The statement read, “It is pertinent to state, however, that the Nigerian diplomatic missions are not immune to the economic situation at home and its attendant challenges to government operations.”
“The financial situation in our missions stems from budgetary limitations over the years, resulting in shortfalls in allocations,” the ministry added.
Ebienfa assured Nigerians at home and abroad that the welfare of foreign service officers and their families remains a top priority for President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“The government is taking decisive and concrete steps to address the issues of fund allocation to all its missions abroad,” the ministry said, disclosing that special intervention funds had been released to ease the burden on affected posts.
“Over 80 per cent of available funds have already been disbursed, with priority given to service providers, salaries of local staff, and arrears of officers’ claims.
“To guarantee transparency, a verification committee was established to review the debt profiles of missions and ensure that payments were legitimate and equitably shared.”
Ebienfa confirmed ongoing engagement with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to recover shortfalls from the 2024 fiscal year, which it linked to exchange rate fluctuations caused by recent monetary policy reforms.
“To mitigate its impact, the government of President Bola Tinubu has graciously approved the settlement of the shortfall,” it said, adding that the first tranche of payments had already been remitted, with some missions confirming receipt.”
It further disclosed that a second tranche of allocations had been approved, with coordination ongoing with the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria to fast-track the release of personnel and overhead funds this week.
The ministry explained it was working on a more sustainable financial framework for the country’s missions, aligning with the government’s broader fiscal reforms aimed at efficient resource allocation and improved governance.
“These efforts are integral to the wider public sector financial reforms being implemented by the Federal Government, designed to enhance fiscal governance and ensure effective allocation of resources.
“We are confident that the current challenges are temporary and will be overcome through the concerted efforts of this administration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to robust and dynamic international diplomacy, as well as the unwavering protection and welfare of every Nigerian citizen worldwide,” Ebienfa added.
