The Federal Government has allocated N53 billion for the renovation of 103 foreign missions.
The renovations would be at the chanceries, staff quarters, ambassadors’ residences, purchase of office furniture, and official vehicles, among others.
A breakdown shows that N554m is for the foreign mission in Abidjan; N812m for Banjul; N555m for Brazzaville; N558m for Port of Spain; N576m for Caracas; N624m for Kingston; N567m for Libreville; N409m for Buenos Aires, N899m for Niamey, among others.
In the face of increased financing to the missions, significant challenges abound, with sources estimating that almost $1bn was required to clear arrears and fully fund the nation’s 109 missions worldwide.
When he took over, President Bola Tinubu reassessed Nigeria’s foreign policy and recalled 83 ambassadors in September 2023.
However, the process of appointing new envoys has faced delays due to financial shortfalls.
The Foreign Affairs Minister Yusf Tuggar lamented insufficient funding for essential embassy operations and ambassadorial support.
“There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated country and to run the missions effectively, one needs funding.
“Mr President is working on it, and it will be done in due course,” Tuggar said during a ministerial briefing in May 2023.
It is believed that the country needs around $1billion to clear backlogs of bills and adequately finance its 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates globally.
A source in the Foreign Affairs Ministry source said these issues require substantial capital expenditure, adding that efforts are ongoing to address arrears and operational shortcomings.
He said, “You see, the major issue is money. Not money to pay them (ambassadors), because how much is their salary and benefits? The main money is CAPEX (capital expenditure). By the time they put the cost together to fix the issues; it is running to almost $1bn.
“Most of those embassies, almost 90 per cent, are rundown. The residence is not good, the embassy does not have a functional office, or their rent has expired. The embassies that are buoyant may not be up to 10 as we speak.”
Another official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to talk to the media, explained that the allowances of Foreign Service officers are pending.
The official said, “The money required now is for CAPEX to fix some of the residences and embassies, purchase vehicles and pay some of the arrears and overheads for some Foreign Service officers.
“Some of them are owed seven to eight months allowances. Some of them owe rent. The President is trying to iron that out before announcing the list.”
A Foreign Service staff member in one of the missions noted that sending ambassadors into such conditions without resolving these issues would leave them unable to perform their duties effectively.
The official noted, “If you send an ambassador here now, the embassy staff may look up to the ambassador to solve their problems. And the ambassador will be helpless.
“It’s even understandable now because the Head of Chancery and Chargé D’Affaires are civil servants like everyone here. So, we are all in the same boat. But once you send a political head like an ambassador, it’s like sending a president.”
