Reports suggest that Nigerian diplomats now beg landlords for mercy and explain to their children why school fees are an optional luxury.

Development Diaries reports that at least 450 foreign service officers across 109 Nigerian missions abroad have gone unpaid for the past five to six months, according to The Punch.

Imagine a world where foreign service officers, representing a country that allocates billions to foreign affairs, have to personally fund embassy printer ink.

Let’s get this straight: in 2024, N160.06 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in 2025, it is an even more ‘generous’ N353.77 billion.

Yet, somehow, embassy staff have not been paid in six months.

Meanwhile, N53 billion is earmarked for embassy renovations. Perhaps the logic is that a well-painted embassy building is more important than the starving workers inside it?

And who can forget the noble commitment to appointing new ambassadors? Except, of course, for the tiny inconvenience that there are no funds for them to actually travel to their designated countries.

Now, to the pressing questions:

Where is the money meant for these salaries? Nigeria has embassies in 109 countries. Shouldn’t their upkeep be a priority?

Why is budget approval always an excuse? How can embassies operate on hope while billions are supposedly set aside for their expenses?

Development Diaries calls on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to urgently address this embarrassing development.

And to the presidency and the National Assembly, if they can approve billions for renovations, they can approve salaries.