Nigerian Missions Abroad Face Financial Strain Over Unpaid Rents, Staff Salaries – Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Nigerian embassies and consulates abroad are struggling with unpaid rent, salary arrears for local staff, and other obligations.

In a statement on Monday, September 1, 2025, spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa linked the crisis to years of budget shortfalls and Nigeria’s economic challenges.

“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.

The ministry said the Tinubu administration had released special funds. “To ensure that the monies remitted to the Missions are utilised judiciously and managed prudently in line with this Administration’s financial discipline policy, the Ministry set up a committee to assess and confirm the debt profile of the affected Missions with a view to ensuring that payments are justifiable and carried out based on equity and fairness to all those affected,” it added.

It noted that over 80% of available funds had been cleared, prioritising service providers, local staff salaries, and arrears to officers.

On exchange rate harmonisation worsening the cr+sis, the ministry said: “The Ministry has also engaged the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in obtaining refunds for the shortfall in Missions’ allocations in the 2024 fiscal year due to foreign exchange differentials associated with the new monetary policy and the harmonisation of exchange rates.”

The ministry confirmed that the first tranche of refunds had been remitted, while second-semester allocations were approved. “We are confident that the current challenges are temporary and will be overcome through the concerted efforts of this administration,” it stated, thanking staff, host governments, and partners for their patience.