The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Heads of Missions for questioning over the utilization of appropriated funds by the foreign missions in 2025.

The Committee, in a letter dated July 24, 2025 and signed by its Chairman, Rep Busayo Oluwole Oke, anchored its powers on Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (As amended) to demand detailed records of utilizations of the funds by the various agencies.

The nation’s foreign missions have, in the past few years, been poorly funded, leading to poor consular services to Nigerians abroad. This is in addition to allegations of corruption by officials of the missions abroad.

Earlier in 2025, the Oke-led Committee commenced an investigation into allegations of a contract scandal involving the alleged mismanagement of $2 million for the renovation of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

The invitation letter inviting Tuggar and Heads of Missions reads in part, “The Missions are required to furnish the following documents: approved budget of the missions from 2024-2025; budget performance of the missions for the above years; record of special interventions released to the missions and their applications between 2018-2025 and staff nominal roll for both home and local staff.

“The Honourable Minister is kindly requested to bring the content of this letter to all Heads of Missions.”

Another letter, dated July 3, 2025, signed by the Director of Funds on behalf of the Accountant General of the Federation, revealed that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration released a total of $54 million to cater to the needs of the nation’s 103 Embassies and High Commissions.

While overhead cost got an allocation of $46.14m, personal cost accounted for $9.58m, with overhead allocated $282,829.

Speaking on the development in Abuja, Rep Oke commended President Tinubu for the intervention, even as he charged Tuggar and Heads of the various missions to provide the Committee with detailed records of the disbursement of the funds.

He said, “We commend the President for intervening, and we are thankful for his commitment to revive the missions. His intervention in 2025 will go a long way in projecting a great image for our country.

“We urge the missions to come forth and inform Nigerians through their representatives in parliament how the intervention funds have been utilized. This will ensure transparency and accountability, which are two basic requirements for good governance.”

A breakdown of the disbursement showed that the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs was allocated $5.89m, while the Embassy of Nigeria in Moscow got $1.96m. The nation’s Embassy in Rome, Italy, got $2.82m, while Vienna and Athens got $1.09m and $1.04m, respectively.

Others include Embassy of Nigeria in Tel Aviv-$1.8m; Addis Ababa $1.92m; Consulate General of Nigeria, Jeddah $1.48m; Consulate General of Nigeria, Dubai $1.26m and Embassy of Nigeria, Madrid, Spain $1.23m; Embassies of Nigeria in Tehran/Abu Dhabi $1.18m, among others.

According to Oke, the committee is not on a witch-hunt mission but “Is merely responding to the need to make governance count for Nigeria and Nigerians.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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