Why Nigeria Yet to Appoint Ambassadors – Minister
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, has attributed the delay in appointing ambassadors for Nigeria to a paucity of funds.
Speaking during the ministerial sectoral briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, Tuggar highlighted the significant financial and economic challenges faced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Excel Magazine International reports that on September 2, 2023, President Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors from Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, embassies, and consulates worldwide.
Nigeria currently has 109 missions, including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally.
Excel Magazine International gathered that the absence of ambassadors has sparked concerns about Nigeria’s diplomatic representation and the effectiveness of its foreign missions.
Tuggar explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not been receiving the necessary funding to operate effectively. “We met a situation where Foreign Affairs was not being funded the way it should be. 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 said.
Despite these hurdles, Tuggar assured that the government is addressing the issue. “Mr. President is working on it, and it will be done in due course,” he stated.
