The Senate has raised alarm over a deepening funding crisis in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warning that persistent financial constraints are undermining Nigeria’s diplomatic effectiveness and damaging the country’s global reputation.
The concern was voiced on Wednesday by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Abubakar Sani Bello, during an oversight session with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and senior ministry officials at the National Assembly.
Bello told the minister that several Nigerian missions abroad are battling severe financial distress, including unpaid salaries for locally engaged staff, outstanding school fees for diplomats’ children, medical and legal bills, and operational expenses such as rent, electricity, internet services and maintenance of official vehicles.
According to him, in some countries, local staff have gone three to four months without pay, leaving diplomats to manage operations and staff morale under extremely difficult circumstances.
The Committee further expressed concern over Nigeria’s mounting statutory obligations to international organisations, noting that delays in meeting assessed contributions have exposed the country to embarrassment and potential sanctions.
Responding, Tuggar acknowledged the scale of the financial strain, admitting that inadequate funding has significantly hampered the ministry’s ability to conduct proactive diplomacy and effectively project Nigeria’s interests abroad.
He specifically cited outstanding contributions to multilateral bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union, warning that persistent delays could weaken Nigeria’s standing and influence within those institutions.
Also present at the session was the Director-General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Yusuf Buba Yakub, whose agency operates as a key foreign-policy development programme of the Federal Government.
The Technical Aid Corps functions as Nigeria’s “skills diplomacy” arm, deploying professionals—including teachers, doctors, engineers, agriculturists, ICT experts and legal officers—to countries in need of manpower rather than providing direct financial aid. Since its establishment in 1987, the agency has deployed more than 10,000 Nigerian professionals to African, Caribbean and Pacific nations, supporting public institutions such as hospitals, universities, ministries and training colleges.
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Meanwhile, the Committee directed the ministry to submit a comprehensive breakdown of its outstanding liabilities, including international dues and operational deficits, to facilitate further legislative engagement with the Appropriations Committee.
Lawmakers assured the ministry of continued legislative backing but stressed the urgency of stabilising funding to protect Nigeria’s diplomatic missions and restore confidence in the country’s global commitments.
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