• Envoys urge Tinubu to weigh in, redress lingering crisis
By Abiola Olawale
Three years after President Bola Tinubu recalled all serving Nigerian ambassadors in September 2023, the Federal Government still has not paid the recalled ex-envoys who served Nigeria at the highest level of diplomatic representation their outstanding salaries, unpaid resettlement allowances, and other pending entitlements, The New Diplomat can exclusively report.
The former ambassadors, comprising both career and non-career officers, who were abruptly recalled home from Nigeria’s diplomatic missions worldwide in the early days of the Tinubu administration, continue to await payment of their unpaid salaries, pending resettlement allowances, and other entitlements. Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that these payments have not been “effected for three years because of lack of funds”.
A former envoy who served in Europe confided to The New Diplomat that the outstanding salaries, unpaid resettlement allowance, and other entitlements meant to cover their resettlement costs, salaries, and related benefits after years of successful service representing the country abroad at the ambassadorial level.
The New Diplomat reports that these payments typically cover relocation costs for the ambassadors, their families, and personal effects, as well as other entitlements under Foreign Service rules.
Recall that the recalled envoys were instructed to return home by the end of October 2023. The move left Nigeria’s more than 100 diplomatic missions without substantive ambassadors for an unprecedented period, with operations handled by chargés d’affaires.
Fresh indications reaching The New Diplomat reveal that while some officials of Tinubu’s administration have continued to make promises, these ex-envoys have been left stranded by the unpaid salaries, unsettled resettlement allowances, and other statutory benefits.
Two former ambassadors who served in Europe and spoke on condition of anonymity described the current situation as an unprecedented prolonged financial strain.
According to them, “the three years’ delayed payments of salaries, allowances and other entitlements being owed have made it difficult for them to settle back into society since their return home to Nigeria after years of service overseas”. One recalled envoy noted that the amounts involved, though relatively modest compared to overall diplomatic budgets, “ the funds are critical for families adjusting after sudden recall.”
“We served the country diligently with distinction. Returning home without paying us our pending salaries, resettlement allowances, and other entitlements creates unnecessary financial difficulty,” a source added. Others pointed to bureaucratic bottlenecks and funding constraints within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant government agencies as the main reasons for the three-year protracted delays.
The issue has persisted even as the Tinubu administration eventually nominated and posted new ambassadors. Nominations were confirmed by the Senate in late 2025, with postings of about 65 envoys approved in early 2026 after a lengthy vacancy period that stretched for more than two years in various Nigerian Missions.
This development is coming amidst reports of funding shortfalls in Nigeria’s foreign service under successive administrations. Reports over the past few years indicate cases of heightened arrears in salaries and allowances for serving foreign service officers.
As of the time of this report, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency have not issued a press statement specifically addressing the outstanding resettlement claims of the 2023 cohort of recalled ambassadors. Earlier official comments around the time of the recall indicated that some passage payments had been processed, though affected diplomats maintained that full entitlements were not settled.
The prolonged non-payment raises questions about the treatment of retired and recalled Nigerian envoys and the overall welfare of Nigeria’s foreign service. Analysts note that delays of this nature can affect morale among serving officers and the country’s image in the international community.
The New Diplomat’s exclusive report comes at a time when a new set of ambassadors have just recently taken up postings, underscoring the need for the Federal Government to resolve outstanding obligations to those who previously represented Nigeria abroad.
