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Senate C’ttee angry over funding crisis in Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Published

5 months ago

February 18, 2026

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The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday slammed the worsening funding crisis in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warning that the situation is undermining Nigeria’s diplomatic effectiveness and global reputation.

Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Sani Bello, raised the concerns during an oversight session with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and senior ministry officials at the National Assembly.

Bello said many Nigerian missions abroad are grappling with severe financial constraints, including unpaid salaries for locally engaged staff, outstanding school fees for diplomats’ children, medical and legal bills, and operational costs such as rent, electricity, internet services, and maintenance of official vehicles.

According to him, in some countries, local staff have gone three to four months without pay, forcing diplomats to manage morale and operations under extremely difficult conditions.

The Committee also expressed concern over Nigeria’s mounting statutory obligations to international organisations, noting that delays in meeting assessed contributions have exposed the country to embarrassment and possible sanctions.

In his response, Tuggar acknowledged the depth of the financial strain, stressing that the ministry’s capacity to carry out proactive diplomacy has been hampered by inadequate funding.

He specifically cited outstanding contributions to bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union, warning that persistent delays in payments could weaken Nigeria’s standing in multilateral institutions.

The Committee directed the ministry to submit a comprehensive breakdown of its outstanding liabilities, including international dues, to facilitate further engagement with the Appropriations Committee.

Lawmakers assured the ministry of continued legislative support while calling for urgent measures to stabilise funding and strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic missions worldwide.

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Senator Wadada promises to deepen legislative ties, stop inactivity

Published

2 hours ago

July 9, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Aliyu Wadada has promised to revive the committee’s activities after acknowledging concerns over its prolonged inactivity.

Wadada spoke on Thursday at the end of the committee’s meeting in Abuja.

Specifically, the chairman admitted that the committee had been underutilised, noting that it had met only once in the last three years.

He, however, said issues responsible for the situation had been identified during a closed-door session and would be addressed.

“Of course I feel concerned about it, but when we got into the details in a closed-door meeting, we got to know where the problems are, and they will all be taken care of. The committee will be as active as it should always be,” he said.

Commenting further, the chairman said the committee would focus on its core mandate of promoting and strengthening legislative relations between Nigeria’s National Assembly and parliamentary bodies across the world.

According to him, the committee will deepen engagement with regional and international legislative institutions, including the ECOWAS Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and other parliamentary organisations.

He disclosed that a new work plan had already been developed to guide the committee’s activities.

He added: “The direction is basically around the responsibilities of the committee, which is to promote and deepen legislative relationship within Nigeria and with other legislative bodies around the world”.

The chairman added that the committee’s first major activity would be a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament in Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation.

SINL NIgeria Online reports that Senator Wadada assured that the public would be kept informed of the committee’s activities as the new work plan is implemented.

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Just in: FG jerks up salaries soldiers to N100k monthly

Published

2 hours ago

July 9, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers has increased to N100,000 after the Federal Government reviewed their welfare package.

Musa made the disclosure during an interview with News Central ahead of his appearance on the NC Exclusive programme.

He said the adjustment was part of efforts by the government to improve the living conditions of military personnel.

Executive Branch

The former Chief of Defence Staff, however, said the country’s defence sector still requires more funding despite the improvement in soldiers’ earnings and welfare.

He stated that the current defence budget remains inadequate, adding that more resources are needed to effectively support the armed forces and their operations.

Musa explained that soldiers who previously earned about N49,000 monthly now receive at least N100,000 following the salary review carried out by the government.

The minister also called for tougher punishment for kidnappers, saying stronger measures are needed to reduce the increasing cases of abduction across Nigeria.