Tinubu Orders New Funding Framework for Foreign Missions - THISDAYLIVE

The federal government has initiated a comprehensive review of the funding arrangements for the nation’s diplomatic missions abroad.

The move seeks to address persistent financial constraints through a more predictable and sustainable financing framework.

The exercise, directed by President Bola Tinubu on October 14, is expected to go beyond increased budgetary allocations to examine the systemic weaknesses in fund releases, foreign exchange arrangements, budget execution and expenditure management affecting the operations of Nigerian missions.

The Presidential Technical Working Group, chaired by the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, is expected to submit its report, alongside a detailed implementation programme, to the president by December 11, 2026.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the working group in Abuja, Shehu said the presidential intervention was aimed at finding a lasting solution to the financial difficulties confronting the country’s foreign missions, warning that the exercise must produce practical recommendations capable of being implemented.

He said the president expected the committee to develop a workable framework that would resolve the funding challenges rather than merely document existing problems.

Shehu said the review would critically examine the underlying causes of financial instability at the missions and identify alternative funding arrangements that would guarantee transparency, predictability and sustainability without disregarding the country’s prevailing fiscal constraints.

Significantly, he cautioned against approaching the assignment as a demand for higher budgetary provisions, insisting that the adequacy of allocations alone would not resolve the operational difficulties if funds were not released promptly or managed efficiently.

According to him, the working group must consider the entire funding chain, including budget formulation, appropriation, release mechanisms, foreign exchange measures, expenditure controls and the prioritisation of essential diplomatic commitments.

Shehu described the missions as critical instruments of Nigeria’s sovereignty and international engagement, noting that their responsibilities extended beyond diplomatic representation to protecting Nigerians abroad, strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations, promoting trade and investment and projecting the country’s international standing.

He warned that these responsibilities could be compromised if the missions continued to operate under unpredictable financial conditions.

The RMAFC chairman said the commission’s involvement was informed partly by observations from official study engagements and interactions with personnel of Nigerian missions in different countries, which exposed the operational consequences of existing funding difficulties.

He explained that the commission was acting within its constitutional mandate under Paragraph 32(c), Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which empowers it to advise federal and state governments on fiscal efficiency and methods of increasing revenue.

Shehu, however, stressed that the intervention was not intended to assume the responsibilities of other government institutions but to consolidate their fiscal, administrative and operational expertise towards achieving a common objective.

In a statement issued by Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, RMAFC, Maryam Umar Yusuf, he said the working group would also examine international best practices while ensuring that its recommendations were consistent with Nigeria’s constitutional, legal and institutional realities.

To guide the exercise, Shehu identified evidence-based analysis, inclusive institutional participation and practical implementation as the key principles that must underpin the committee’s work.

He urged participating institutions to provide reliable financial, budgetary and operational information, stressing that the assignment should not degenerate into an exercise in apportioning blame for the existing challenges.

Rather, he said, the objective was to establish a coherent funding arrangement that would match the operational demands of Nigeria’s diplomatic presence with accountability, fiscal discipline and prudent management of public resources.

The chairman said the immediate priorities included agreeing on the committee’s terms of reference, developing a structured work plan, identifying relevant documents and information required from participating institutions and determining the framework for wider stakeholder consultations.

He further insisted that the final report must contain evaluated funding alternatives, identify the preferred option and provide a clear implementation roadmap, including timelines, institutional responsibilities and any necessary administrative or legal adjustments.

He called on participating ministries, departments and agencies to accord the assignment the required priority and ensure that their representatives had access to relevant information and adequate institutional support.

RMAFC, he assured, would provide the secretariat coordination and technical assistance required to complete the assignment within the stipulated timeframe.

Among those present at the inaugural meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Dunoma Umar Ahmed; Senior Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Oluremi Olumide; and Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, DCG Franka Halliday.

Representatives of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation also attended the meeting.

The inaugural session formally commenced the inter-agency process to review the financing of Nigeria’s diplomatic missions and develop a framework that would enable them to meet their international obligations without undermining the country’s broader fiscal sustainability.

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