Nigerian Embassies Struggle With Unpaid Rent, Salary Arrears – FG The Federal Government has admitted that several Nigerian diplomatic and consular missions abroad are grappling with financial and operational difficulties, including unpaid staff salaries, rent arrears, and mounting debts to service providers. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, noting that the challenges have hindered the smooth running of missions in different countries. He explained that budgetary shortfalls over the years were responsible for the situation, which has significantly affected the embassies’ ability to deliver on their core diplomatic and consular duties. “The ministry is not unaware of the restrictions that financial limitations have placed on the smooth running of the missions, including the inability to pay salaries of locally recruited staff, financial obligations to service providers, rent to landlords, and the foreign service allowance to home-based officers,” Ebienfa stated. The ministry, however, assured that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had approved intervention funds and set up a committee to verify and settle outstanding debts. It added that over 80% of available funds had been cleared for payments, prioritising service providers, staff salaries, and arrears owed to officers. Ebienfa further disclosed that efforts were ongoing to establish a sustainable financial model for embassies abroad, alongside wider reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal governance. Source: Channels TV #Nigeria #Diplomacy #ForeignAffairs

Shettima arrives Ethiopia for state visit. Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed. Upon arrival, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps. Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday titled ‘VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.’