Nigeria’s diplomatic missions have continued to be without Ambassadors and High Commissioners since they were recalled on 2 September, 2023 by the Tinubu administration. The only exceptions were the country’s Permanent Representatives at the United Nations in New York and Geneva. This is 16 months after; therefore, it is time that government filled these spaces in our diplomatic relations, which have telling reputational consequences.
When the decision to recall the Ambassadors and High Commissioners was taken barely three months into Tinubu’s assumption of office, it was largely seen as a routine and geared towards bringing new political appointees on board, as it is often the case. At such times, the performances of career diplomats are reviewed, with some of them reassigned for improved efficiency and output, in addition to the appointment of a few other political appointees for diplomatic postings.
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The country has 109 diplomatic missions, comprising 76 Embassies, 22 High Commissions and 11 Consulates affected in the subsisting disruption. These entities are now being overseen by Consule-Generals and Charge D’Affairs, who are mere administrative officers whose offices do not possess the same respect, charisma or gravitas as those of ambassadors, to engage their host nations at the highest levels.
Ambassadors or High Commissioners are not only the political heads of foreign missions but they equally serve as the eyes and ears of the president in their places of posting. They pursue, vigorously, the country’s interests that encapsulate the economic/trade, security, political, cultural, and educational welfare of Nigerians in the Diaspora. On the basis of all this, they regularly file reports back home to guide policy decisions and actions.
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Ironically, President Tinubu’s diplomatic shuttles have been remarkable with the several deals he has struck across numerous countries. On 2 December, 2024, he returned from such engagement that took him to France, where he spent three days. From there he travelled to South Africa, which made it his 33rd nation visited since coming to power. Others he had visited include China, Germany, the United States, India, Netherlands and Brazil.
While in France, he signed two bilateral agreements that would bolster infrastructure and food security in the country. In South Africa, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Nigeria/South Africa 11th Bi-National Commission, which would consolidate the partnership the two countries have toward improving the African narrative in trade and economic development.
His charge there was instructive: “Let us not count on the successes by the number of MoUs and agreements signed. They will be mere papers until we implement them in spirit and letters. This is the job of our senior officials and I must implore them to redouble their efforts in this regard.”
This statement actually presents some self-indictment with his emphasis on the implementation of signed deals, which are under the schedule of “senior officials” or ambassadors to take to the next level and fruition. As anchors in diplomatic relations, without them, the whole exercise becomes just drudgery and futile. As in the South African case, so it is pertaining to other countries.
Nigeria’s self-imposed isolationism in the global diplomatic space is quite unfortunate and unacceptable. It is unbecoming of a nation that wants to be taken as a crescent factor in the international arena. We wager that a number of serious meetings of national interest would have been held by ambassadors in the 109 countries that Nigeria has missions in this past 16 months, without the country’s presence. Meaning that we have had no representation in these very crucial fora, as Charge D’Affairs are persona non-grata in such gatherings.
The lack of proper funding of these missions has been identified as a major challenge. This, again, throws up the filth in governance in Nigeria, over how public funds are brazenly looted and mismanaged, without the culprits held to account. It is not in the country’s best interest to keep its ambassadors away from their duty posts for this long in an age of globalisation, where bilateralism, multilateralism or interdependence underpin existence or survival.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tugar, had drawn attention to the fiscal crisis in the missions mid last year. Then, the ministry’ spokesman, Eche Abu-Ode, had suggested a possible 2023 supplementary budget reprieve for the missions. But this was not to be. The value of that extra budget was N2.176 trillion. And, it was followed by the 2024 appropriation of N28.7 trillion, which was subsequently reviewed upwards, with an additional N6.2 trillion in a supplementary budget. In all of this, the fiscal challenge of Nigeria’s embassies did not matter.
It is in the 2025 budget before the National Assembly that N53 billion has been allocated for the renovation of 103 foreign missions. The Foreign Affairs ministry has a budgetary total of N287 billion. The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Wale Oke, does not consider this sum enough. As a result, it has summoned Mr Tugar, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, the Director-General in charge of Budget, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for a meeting.
With the rehabilitation expenditure of the missions in the budget, this means that ambassadors would not be redeployed anytime soon. There are rents and arrears of allowances of the staff of embassies to be cleared. The total sum is not publicly known. Despite the foregoing, the Tinubu administration cannot reasonably use cash crisis as an excuse to continually impair the activities of our foreign missions.
The problem lies in the misplaced priorities of the administration. A government with a high premium on its diplomatic missions would not have spent N90 billion to subsidise hajj operations in November 2023, shortly after recalling the diplomats. It used N4 billion to renovate Dodan Barracks in Lagos as the president’s official residence and another N3 billion for another official quarters in Lagos for the Vice President. These houses are hardly used, as his gleaming Bourdillon mansion in Ikoyi is so close by, and which is where he stays each time he visits Lagos. So, why the waste of scare public resources?
From the same 2023 additional budget, a N5 billion yacht was paid for. Aguda House, hitherto the official residence of the vice-president, gulped N2.5 billion for renovation. It has now been abandoned with the N21 billion new official residence for the Vice President completed. These are highly wasteful expenditures in our view. And there are much more of such.
Everything must be done to redeploy ambassadors to our mission immediately. The excuse of the lack of funds and Tinubu’s repeated entreaties and assurances to foreign investors of Nigeria’s readiness for business are ironies of sorts.
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The degree of respect, influence and dignity a country commands in the global space could involve granular details such as the incapacitation of its embassies. For Nigeria, this is happening at a time it is seeking permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council in its envisioned enlargement; including membership of the G20 and BRICS.
Mere lobbying for these spots are not enough. Nigeria’s weight and reach are critical, which are being vitiated by its failure to effectively run its embassies. International relations are nothing more than the projecting of the domestic scene abroad. Therefore, the reflection we behold is quite unedifying.
Nigeria presently has a diplomatic standoff with Niger Republic, with the allegation of its military junta that our country is forging a tie with France to destabilise it. Super Eagles were de-humanised in Libya late last year with the players’ abandonment at the airport for a night without hotel accommodation. It forced them not to play the AFCON game that took them there.
These challenges and their remedies underscore the role of ambassadors. As a result, the National Assembly should use its power of appropriation to nudge Tinubu to end the rot of dysfunctional embassies globally. It has weakened the country’s stock in diplomatic circles, whose denizens watch the disorder in utter bemusement and with snide remarks. PREMIUM TIMES therefore advises the president to end this faux paus now.
