Nigerian Missions Worldwide Face Debt Crisis Under Tinubu Government

Nigerian diplomats are alarmed by the financial state of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa’s leadership as Permanent Secretary.

Due to payment delays to service providers, some missions are struggling to function, facing legal challenges. The Concerned and Patriotic Foreign Service Officers urge immediate action to tackle the crisis, hampering missions’ operations.

In the past two years, Nigerian missions abroad have only received 20% of their allocated budget. Despite appeals made by affected missions to Amb. Lamuwa a year ago regarding budget shortages, he allegedly exploited the situation for personal gain, intensifying the financial strain. As a result, many service providers are resorting to legal action against Nigerian missions to recover overdue payments.

The officers caution that failure to settle debts to service providers in certain countries might lead to non-recognition of diplomatic documentation for newly appointed Ambassadors. They attribute the government’s indebtedness to local service providers to poor administrative capacity, inadequate financial planning, and the ineffective management of Ambassador Lamuwa.