The federal government has added three months (90 days) to the stay of envoys and ambassadors.
President Tinubu summoned all Nigerian diplomats, both professional and non-professional, on September 2.
They were instructed to enter the nation by October 31 or earlier. There are about 300 foreign missions in Nigeria.
The Federal Government was dragging its feet with implementation and had not given the envoys AIEs (Authority to Incur Expenditures) for their travels, leaving them stuck.
The AIE outlines each envoy’s specific rights with regard to their passes and other travel arrangements to return to Nigeria.
The AIEs were released, but it was discovered that there was no cash-backing, therefore their stay was extended until January 2024.
The process of recalling and replacing ambassadors, according to several diplomats, takes between six and eight months, so they worried that the three-month extension might not be long enough to get it done.
The ambassador claimed that the President Tinubu Administration has not had enough time to conduct the requisite consultations for the recruitment of replacements for the departing ambassadors because of the early difficulties any new government faces in settling down.
He said
“The consequence is that if the envoys take their leave, by November 1, all the Nigerian missions will be without heads for a long time because it takes quite some time to nominate, vet, screen, confirm and receive bilateral agreement from host countries before envoys assume duties at their respective posts.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written an advisory to Mr. President, pointing out the consequences and seeking a three-month extension to enable some housekeeping to be done for the recalled envoys.”