…’Nigeria’s missions in debts’
Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar has told the members of the National Assembly that funding for the Nigeria’s 110 missions and the overhead consideration were grossly inadequate.
The Minister made the call when he appeared before the joint committee of the National Assembly on Foreign Affairs to defend the Ministry’s 2024 budget.
“This explains why the headquarters and most of the missions were unable to settle their statutory bills as at when due largely due to inadequate budgetary provisions in recent years. As a result of this most missions are perpetually in debt, hence the special request by the ministry for Mr. President’s approval for special intervention funds almost on annual basis to clear this debts,” he said.
The Dean of Non-Career Ambassadors, Ambassador Nwannebuike Ominyi, had earlier in the year alarmed that there was continued starvation of funding for Nigeria’s missions and embassies, calling on the government to work towards changing the narrative.
In his remarks, Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Sen Sani Bello assured the minister of the National Assembly’s support.
