2026 budget: FG earmarks N41bn to upgrade 109 foreign missions

The Federal Government has proposed more than ₦41 billion in the 2026 budget for the renovation, furnishing and equipping of 109 Nigerian foreign missions worldwide.

The proposed funding is intended to cover the rehabilitation of chanceries, ambassadors’ residences and staff quarters, as well as the procurement of office furniture and official vehicles for Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.

A breakdown of the allocations shows that several missions are earmarked for substantial funding.

These include ₦374 million for Cairo, ₦380 million for Cotonou, ₦387 million for Freetown, ₦391 million each for Port of Spain and New York, ₦389 million for both Ouagadougou and Nairobi, ₦383 million for Malabo, ₦386 million for Athens, ₦388 million for Abidjan and ₦436 million for Kingston.

Other notable allocations include ₦384 million for Lome, ₦376 million for Beijing, ₦382 million for Bamako, ₦405 million for Lusaka, ₦513 million for Algiers, ₦568 million for Banjul, ₦379 million for London, ₦387 million for Johannesburg and ₦385 million for Kuwait, among others.

The proposed ₦41 billion allocation represents a reduction from the ₦53 billion approved for similar purposes in the 2025 budget.

Since taking office in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu has initiated a review of Nigeria’s foreign policy, including the recall of 83 ambassadors in September 2023.

However, the redeployment of new envoys has been delayed, largely due to funding challenges.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, had previously attributed the delay to inadequate funding for embassy operations and the take-off costs associated with deploying ambassadors.

In December 2025, President Tinubu submitted an expanded list of 64 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate to fill long-standing vacancies in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions.

The nominees, who were later confirmed, include 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 30 non-career appointees.

Speaking at an end-of-year briefing, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the newly appointed ambassadors are expected to assume duty in 2026, a development aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s bilateral relations and boosting its global diplomatic engagement.