The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has called upon the Minister of Budget and National Planning and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to address what they see as insufficient funding for the ministry, particularly concerning the support for foreign missions in the proposed 2025 budget. Alongside the ministers, the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also expected to attend the meeting.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs expressed concerns about the allocated budget for recurrent expenditures, stating that the amount falls short of meeting the ministry’s needs, especially for supporting Nigeria’s foreign missions. The proposed 2025 Appropriation Bill revealed a specific allocation for capital and recurrent expenditures within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The committee has scheduled a meeting for January 14, 2025, to discuss the inadequate budget allocation and the ministry’s requirements, which have been assessed to be around N1.5tn. While meeting this amount in a single year might not be feasible, the committee suggests that a minimum of N500bn should be allocated, considering the provisions under the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
The committee highlighted various financial obligations of the ministry, such as subscriptions to international organizations and allowances for Foreign Service Officers. They also mentioned the impact of the fluctuating exchange rates on the ministry’s operations and urged for a sustainable solution to address the funding challenges.
Additionally, the committee proposed allowing foreign missions to acquire properties through mortgages to reduce the burden of high rental costs in certain locations. They emphasized the importance of legislative support to enable missions to access mortgages or loans for property acquisition, promoting long-term solutions to financial constraints.
Moreover, the committee raised concerns about internal issues within the ministry, attributing them to a lack of transparency and accountability. They suggested that addressing these internal challenges could lead to a more prosperous and efficient operational system within the ministry and its missions.