The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has summoned Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Heads of Missions to account for the over $54 million allocated to Nigeria’s foreign missions.
Committee Chairman Oluwole Oke said the summons, contained in a letter dated July 24, 2025, was issued under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), empowering lawmakers to investigate fund utilisation by public institutions.
The committee is demanding a detailed breakdown of how the funds were spent across 103 embassies and high commissions, including approved mission budgets for 2024 and 2025, budget performance reports, records of special interventions released between 2018 and 2025, and nominal rolls for both home-based and locally recruited staff.
The probe follows an earlier inquiry into an alleged $2 million contract scandal linked to the renovation of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative’s residence at the United Nations in New York.
A separate document dated July 3, 2025, signed by the Director of Funds on behalf of the Accountant General of the Federation, confirmed that the Tinubu administration released a total of $54 million to sustain operations at Nigeria’s foreign missions.
Breakdown of the allocations showed $46.14 million for overheads, $9.58 million for personnel, and $282,829 for other administrative costs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received $5.89 million, while embassies in Rome ($2.82m), Moscow ($1.96m), Addis Ababa ($1.92m), Tel Aviv ($1.8m), and Dubai ($1.26m) were among the top recipients.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Oke praised President Bola Tinubu’s intervention as a timely boost to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions but stressed the need for transparency and accountability in managing public funds.
Meanwhile, Minister Tuggar reiterated that Nigeria’s foreign policy must directly advance its economic ambitions, through trade facilitation, investment promotion, and partnerships that strengthen the domestic economy.
Addressing participants at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #31) in Abuja, Tuggar said the ministry’s focus on economic diplomacy aligns with Nigeria’s “4D Foreign Policy Doctrine” — Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora.
He also highlighted the newly launched West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) as a platform to drive cross-border industrialisation, trade, and infrastructure integration across the sub-region.