Nigeria’s Embassy Workers Left in the Lurch: Six Months Without Pay Sparks Outrage

 

Imagine working tirelessly to represent your country abroad—handling passports, assisting citizens in distress, and maintaining diplomatic ties—only to go six months without a paycheck. For at least 450 foreign service officers across 109 Nigerian embassies, this isn’t a hypothetical scenario; it’s their reality. On February 19, 2025, reports surfaced that these workers have been unpaid since August or September 2024, plunging them into financial distress and igniting widespread discontent. This crisis isn’t just a paycheck problem—it’s a glaring symptom of deeper challenges in Nigeria’s foreign service operations as the country grapples with economic reforms. Let’s unpack what’s happening, why it matters, and what it says about Nigeria’s place on the global stage.

A Diplomatic Dilemma

The news broke through multiple outlets, with The Punch leading the charge, detailing how these embassy staff—spread across missions from London to Havana—can no longer afford rent, school fees, or basic operational costs like embassy utilities. Some have even resorted to personal savings or loans to keep afloat. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged the crisis, with acting spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa pointing to poor funding and delays in the 2025 budget passage as the culprits. He offered a glimmer of hope, suggesting that the recently passed 2025 Appropriation Act, once signed by President Bola Tinubu, could release funds to clear the backlog. But for workers who’ve waited half a year, that promise feels distant.

This isn’t a new issue. Nigeria’s diplomatic missions have faced funding shortages before. Back in 2017, Vanguard reported that the embassy in Havana went nine months without salaries, compounded by U.S. sanctions on Cuba complicating fund transfers. The current crisis, however, spans a staggering 109 missions, affecting a broader swath of Nigeria’s global footprint. From consular services grinding to a halt to service providers suing embassies for unpaid debts, the ripple effects are undeniable.

Why Are Salaries Stalled?

At the heart of this mess is Nigeria’s economic tightrope walk. The 2025 budget, pegged at ₦353.77 billion ($233 million) for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sounds hefty—until you divide it across 109 missions. That’s roughly $2.14 million per mission annually, or $178,000 monthly, before accounting for exchange rate fluctuations that erode the naira’s value abroad. In London, where the High Commission gets ₦7 billion (about £3.6 million), even minimum wages for drivers (£1,500 monthly) eat into that fast. Former diplomat Rasheed Akinkuolie told The Punch that this underfunding traces back to military rule in the 1980s, a legacy that civilian governments haven’t shaken off.

Economic reforms under President Tinubu—like fuel subsidy removal and naira flotation—have strained public finances further. While these measures aim to boost long-term growth, they’ve spiked inflation (33.2% in 2024, per Reuters) and slashed purchasing power. The delay in budget approval until mid-February 2025 exacerbated the crunch, leaving missions cash-starved as debts piled up—some so severe that service providers have dragged embassies to court, according to Legit.ng.

The Human Cost

For the workers, the impact is visceral. An anonymous official told Naija News that some staff can’t process passports or assist Nigerians abroad because they’re too broke to keep offices running. Others, per Daily Post Nigeria, have dipped into personal funds for basics like ink and paper. This isn’t just a job crisis; it’s a dignity crisis. Families are uprooted—children pulled from schools, rents unpaid—while Nigeria’s image as a diplomatic player takes a hit. As Al Jazeera noted in 2023, Nigerian workers often face delayed wages, but the scale here is unprecedented.

A Broader Reflection

This fiasco underscores a paradox: Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and a self-styled “Giant of Africa,” struggles to fund its global voice. The Council on Foreign Relations warned in 2019 of a “diplomatic recessional” when Nigeria closed four small missions due to cash shortages. Today’s crisis suggests that warning wasn’t heeded. With ₦53 billion earmarked for mission renovations in 2025 (Punch), the government seems to prioritize infrastructure over people—a choice that’s backfiring as discontent festers.

The Ministry’s optimism hinges on the 2025 budget’s signing, but even then, will it suffice? Daily Trust reports that past allocations (e.g., ₦251.71 billion on salaries over four years) haven’t kept pace with needs. And with oil revenues—Nigeria’s fiscal lifeline—still shaky, per Reuters, the fix might be temporary.

What’s Next?

This isn’t just Nigeria’s problem—it’s a wake-up call for how emerging powers manage their global presence amid economic upheaval. For now, embassy workers wait, their frustration echoing on platforms like X, where users lament “financial neglect” and “embarrassing” mismanagement. The government must act swiftly—not just with funds, but with structural reforms to prioritize its diplomats. Otherwise, Nigeria risks muting its voice when it needs it most.

What do you think—can Nigeria turn this around, or is this a sign of deeper decline? Share your thoughts in the comments!