Nigerian diplomatic and consular missions across the world are grappling with a funding crisis that has left them struggling to pay rent, settle service providers, and clear outstanding salaries for local staff.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the situation in a statement issued on Monday, September 1, 2025, by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
According to the ministry, years of budgetary shortfalls and Nigeria’s broader economic pressures have undermined the capacity of missions to function effectively.
“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,” the statement read.
Ebienfa explained that the challenges reflect the country’s current economic realities but assured Nigerians that the government was taking steps to address them.
The ministry disclosed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had released special intervention funds to ease the burden on missions. Over 80 percent of the funds, it said, have already been disbursed, prioritising service providers, salaries, and arrears of officers’ claims.
To ensure accountability, a verification committee has been set up to review missions’ debt profiles and validate payments.
The ministry further revealed ongoing discussions with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to recover 2024 shortfalls 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,” Ebienfa noted, confirming that the first tranche of payments had already reached some missions, while a second tranche is being fast-tracked in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Looking ahead, the ministry said a more sustainable financial framework for Nigerian missions abroad was being developed as part of broader public sector fiscal reforms.
“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,” the statement concluded.
