Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, recently assured citizens that the country’s embassies across the world are “functioning effectively” despite the absence of substantive ambassadors. According to him, the diplomatic chain of command is intact, with chargés d’affaires and career officers managing day-to-day operations. Tuggar argued that diplomacy is not a “one-man show” and insisted that Nigerians abroad are still accessing consular services, trade and cultural exchanges continue, and Nigeria’s global image remains intact.
But beneath this confident declaration lies a troubling contradiction — one that has sparked anger among critics, opposition parties, and diplomatic observers. If embassies are truly “functioning well,” why are multiple reports showing missions unable to pay rent, electricity bills, or even staff salaries for months? Why have contractors in some host countries dragged Nigerian embassies to court over unpaid dues? And why, despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s repeated claims of saving trillions of naira from fuel subsidy removal, is there no evidence of relief in Nigeria’s foreign missions?
The Trillions That Never Reached Diplomacy
On May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced “fuel subsidy is gone.” Since then, the administration, led by the Honorable Minister of Finance Mr. Wale Edun, has touted savings running into trillions of naira. These funds, Nigerians were told, would be redirected into infrastructure, welfare, and other national priorities.
Yet the lived reality at Nigeria’s embassies tells a different story. Diplomats complain of unpaid allowances. Missions in key capitals like Washington, London, and New Delhi are said to be running skeletal services. Reports from Punch and Daily Trust detail how staff in more than 100 embassies have gone for months without salaries, while unpaid disengagement benefits of recalled ambassadors remain in limbo. If subsidy trillions were indeed saved, critics ask, why hasn’t even a fraction been deployed to rescue Nigeria’s flagging diplomatic outposts?
Tuggar’s Comfort Talk vs. Ground Reality
Minister Tuggar insists that the absence of substantive ambassadors has not diminished Nigeria’s international presence. He argues that the foreign service structure ensures continuity, and that many countries also operate for periods without ambassadors.
But this defense sounds hollow against mounting evidence. Diplomacy is not only about processing passports and visas — it is about influence, visibility, and access. Chargés d’affaires may run daily operations, but they rarely enjoy the clout or recognition that ambassadors command in host countries. Key negotiations on trade, security, or bilateral agreements often demand ambassadorial presence.
Opposition figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), argue that Nigeria’s global image is suffering. They cite worsening visa delays, poor consular services, and what they call a “diplomatic downgrade,” as host nations may interpret Nigeria’s failure to appoint ambassadors as lack of seriousness.
A National Embarrassment
Beyond image, there are also national security implications. Experts warn that without strong ambassadorial leadership, Nigeria risks losing ground in intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism collaboration, and multilateral forums. Some have described the situation as a “strategic lapse,” while others call it outright embarrassing for a country that prides itself as the “giant of Africa.”
Embassies are Nigeria’s eyes, ears, and voice abroad. When those missions are crippled by debt, unpaid bills, or absence of leadership, the damage is more than financial — it is reputational. Critics say it is absurd that a government boasting of saving trillions cannot keep its embassies afloat.
Tuggar Saved Face, But Diplomacy Is Starving
To Tuggar, Nigeria’s foreign policy remains on course. To many Nigerians and diplomats abroad, however, his remarks sound more like an attempt to save face for an administration struggling to reconcile its rhetoric with reality.
The truth is stark: Tinubu’s subsidy savings narrative has not translated into stronger embassies or better services for Nigerians overseas. Instead, foreign missions groan under the weight of unpaid salaries, legal disputes, and dwindling influence.
Tinubu may have “saved trillions,” and Tuggar may have “saved face,” but Nigeria’s diplomacy remains underfed, underfunded, and increasingly starved of credibility on the global stage.
As one critic put it: “They are the NEPA that will take the light at the end of the tunnel.”
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