The Federal Government of Nigeria has proposed over ₦41 billion in the 2026 budget for the renovation, furnishing, and equipping of 109 Nigerian foreign missions, findings by The PUNCH on Thursday revealed. The allocation, part of the government’s broader budgetary plans, is aimed at improving the operational capacity, living conditions, and efficiency of Nigeria’s diplomatic missions worldwide.
The proposed sum will cover the rehabilitation of chanceries, ambassadors’ residences, staff quarters, procurement of office furniture, and official vehicles. The government said the move is intended to modernize Nigeria’s foreign missions and ensure that its diplomatic representatives operate in functional, safe, and well-equipped environments.
Breakdowns of the budget proposal show that the Cairo mission is allocated ₦374 million, Cotonou ₦380 million, Freetown ₦387 million, and both Port of Spain and New York ₦391 million each. Other notable allocations include Ouagadougou and Nairobi ₦389 million, Malabo ₦383 million, Athens ₦386 million, Abidjan ₦388 million, and Kingston ₦436 million.
The budget also earmarks ₦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, according to the detailed figures obtained by The PUNCH.
The proposed 2026 allocation represents a reduction from the ₦53 billion approved in the 2025 budget for similar purposes. Analysts note that the decrease may reflect the government’s efforts to optimize spending while maintaining the essential functions of diplomatic missions.
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu has undertaken a comprehensive reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy, including strategic reviews of the country’s diplomatic staffing and resource allocation. The review led to the recall of 83 ambassadors in September 2023 as part of efforts to realign missions with the government’s policy priorities.
However, the deployment of new envoys has been delayed, largely due to funding constraints. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, had in previous statements cited inadequate funds for embassy operations and ambassadorial take-off costs as a major challenge to the smooth functioning of Nigeria’s foreign missions.
The 2026 budget proposal is intended to address some of these funding gaps by providing resources to upgrade infrastructure, procure necessary office equipment, and ensure that staff quarters and official residences meet minimum operational standards. This is seen as a critical step toward enhancing Nigeria’s global image and diplomatic effectiveness.
In December 2025, President Tinubu forwarded an expanded list of 64 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate to fill long-vacant diplomatic posts and reposition Nigeria’s foreign missions for more effective international engagement. The list included both career diplomats and non-career appointees.
Following Senate confirmation, 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 30 non-career appointees were approved, enabling the government to begin the process of deploying officials to key missions across Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The confirmation was widely welcomed by foreign policy analysts as a move that would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic representation.
The new budget allocations are expected to facilitate the deployment and operational effectiveness of these ambassadors by providing adequate resources for the renovation of chanceries, office furnishings, and other infrastructure critical to diplomatic work.
At an end-of-year press conference, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the newly appointed ambassadors would assume duty in 2026. He noted that the move is expected to strengthen bilateral relations, enhance Nigeria’s engagement in international diplomacy, and promote the country’s economic and political interests abroad.