Amid growing financial distress across Nigeria’s foreign missions, the Federal Government is preparing to disburse intervention funds to stabilize operations and ensure the continuity of diplomatic services abroad.
Senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the move, describing it as a temporary relief strategy aimed at easing the severe financial strain experienced by Nigeria’s 109 overseas diplomatic posts.
The initiative follows months of delayed payments to foreign service personnel, with over 450 officers reportedly going unpaid for up to six months. This has caused significant disruption in operations and placed embassy staff in precarious financial situations.
One ministry source explained that the intervention is designed to “mitigate the immediate impact of funding shortfalls,” particularly for missions unable to meet salary obligations, pay rent, or manage basic operational needs such as consular services for Nigerians abroad.
While the exact amount of the intervention package remains undisclosed, multiple sources indicated it will target embassies facing the most urgent constraints.
The intervention comes against the backdrop of persistent budgetary and administrative hurdles. Despite an increase in personnel funding allocations over the past five years—including ₦214.64 billion earmarked in the proposed 2025 federal budget—many embassies have continued to face delayed disbursements and insufficient operational support.
The 2025 appropriation bill, still awaiting executive assent as of mid-May, is seen as a key reason for the delay in financial releases to embassies.
Several Nigerian missions have reported having to suspend routine services, with staff often using personal funds to maintain basic functions. In some instances, unpaid bills have led to threats of legal action from service providers abroad.
Compounding the situation is the diplomatic vacuum created by the 2023 recall of 83 ambassadors, a decision tied to the administration’s broader reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities under President Bola Tinubu.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has previously acknowledged the funding crisis, noting that effective diplomacy cannot be sustained without adequate financial backing. “There’s little sense in sending ambassadors abroad if we cannot support them with the means to function effectively,” he stated.
The government’s planned intervention is expected to offer immediate relief while longer-term reforms are developed to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic infrastructure and financial management.
