Reps Decry State Of Nigerian Missions In US, Demand Probe

The House of Representatives has expressed grave concern over what it described as the appalling state of Nigerian diplomatic missions in the United States, describing the situation as both embarrassing and detrimental to the country’s international image.

This followed the findings from a recent oversight visit by members of the Nigeria–United States Parliamentary Friendship Group to Nigeria’s missions in New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.

In a recent motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda and 21 other lawmakers, the House noted with dismay the extent of administrative decay and systemic dysfunction plaguing the missions.

According to the motion, the Nigerian Mission House in New York was unable to pay its rent and left more than 30 staff without salaries for over a year, while the elevator in the Washington D.C. mission was only restored after a private Nigerian citizen volunteered to repair it, a situation Chinda said underscored the severity of neglect facing the country’s foreign service operations.

The lawmakers said the state of the missions contradicts Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives as enshrined in Section 19 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates the promotion and protection of national interest, African integration, international cooperation, and a just world economic order.

They argued that while Nigeria maintains diplomatic missions globally to foster bilateral ties, provide consular services, and protect the interests of Nigerians abroad, the disrepair and dysfunction at the missions in the U.S. reflect a deep failure in upholding these responsibilities.

There was particular concern that Nigeria has failed, for two years running, to appoint both a Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a High Commissioner to the United States.

The lawmakers noted that this vacuum is not only damaging to the country’s diplomatic engagement but also harmful to its strategic ambition of securing a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

The absence of these high-level representatives, especially in a country as pivotal as the United States, they said, has created a negative perception of Nigeria and may weaken its influence in global affairs.

“Despite annual budgetary allocations for the upkeep of these foreign missions, including provisions for operational costs, maintenance, and staff welfare, the House observed that the diminishing value of the naira has rendered these funds grossly inadequate.

This has contributed to the inability of missions—especially those in the U.S.—to meet their obligations.

Lawmakers lamented that the resultant neglect, mismanagement, and administrative decay have not only embarrassed Nigeria but also risk plunging the country into diplomatic irrelevance among global actors.

They further described the decay as a breach of the country’s obligation to its citizens abroad, and to its own international standing.

With several key international institutions, including the United Nations, headquartered in the U.S., the lawmakers stressed that Nigeria’s diplomatic posture in that country is central to its global agenda and must not be left to deteriorate further.

The House mandated its Committee on Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Nigeria–U.S. Parliamentary Friendship Group, to conduct a thorough investigation into the financial, administrative, and infrastructural state of the Nigerian missions in New York, Atlanta, and Washington D.C., with a view to uncovering the root causes of the salary delays, operational failures, and mismanagement of appropriated funds.

The committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations within four weeks to guide further legislative action.

Chinda had in a lead debate on the motion, warned that if immediate and pragmatic steps were not taken to address the rot, Nigeria risks not only losing the confidence of its citizens in diaspora, but also diminishing its voice and relevance on the global stage.