Ambassadorial appointments delayed by financial strain – Minister

By Innocent Raphael

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar has attributed the delay in appointing new ambassadors to the financial and economic challenges currently faced by the Nigerian government.

Tuggar made this disclosure during a ministerial sectoral briefing on Tuesday.

“The whole idea was to stop subsidizing consumption and focus on subsidizing production,” Tuggar stated.

However, he highlighted that the government has encountered various challenges, particularly when the benefits of microeconomic reforms were undermined by platforms like Binance and the rise of cryptocurrencies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Tuggar, has not received the necessary funding to function effectively. He emphasized the futility of appointing ambassadors without the financial resources needed for their travel and the efficient operation of missions abroad.

“We met a situation where Foreign Affairs was not being funded like it should be. Some loopholes are exploited by the likes of Binance. It is a money problem.”

“There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated country and to run the missions effectively, one needs funding,” he elaborated.

Despite these hurdles, Tuggar assured that the government is actively addressing the issue. “Mr. President is working on it and it will be done in due course,” he said.

Tuggar further explained that upon taking office, President Tinubu prioritized removing consumption subsidies to focus on production subsidies, which has been a part of the broader economic reforms.

This issue has gained prominence since President Bola Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors on September 2, 2023.

These envoys were directed to return to Nigeria by October 31, 2023. The recall included 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2020.

The absence of appointed ambassadors has raised concerns about Nigeria’s diplomatic representation and the effectiveness of its foreign missions, as the nation operates 109 missions worldwide, which include 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates.