ABUJA — The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to address the rising debt profile of Nigeria’s foreign missions, in a move aimed at ensuring accountability and financial discipline in the country’s diplomatic service.
This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi I. Ebienfa, who said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy of prudent financial management.
According to Ebienfa, the committee has already made progress, with evidence from the missions showing that over 80 percent of available funds have been cleared for payments.
He further revealed that the ministry is collaborating with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to secure refunds for shortfalls in missions’ allocations in the 2024 fiscal year. These shortfalls, he explained, were caused by foreign exchange differentials following the government’s new monetary policy and harmonisation of exchange rates.
Ebienfa noted that Nigeria’s diplomatic and consular missions, like government institutions at home, have not been spared from the economic challenges facing the country.
“The financial situation confronting the missions stemmed from years of budgetary limitations, resulting in shortfalls in allocations. This has significantly affected their ability to function optimally and deliver on core diplomatic and consular mandates,” he said.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government has yet to appoint substantive heads of missions, following the recall of ambassadors and high commissioners on September 1, 2023.
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