Federal Government closes 9 foreign missions

    The Federal Government has approved the closure of nine foreign missions and their conversion to non-residency representation or concurrent accreditation, as part of measures to reduce the cost of running Nigeria’s foreign representations in the face of economic realities.

    It has also reduced the number of officers at foreign missions, stopped posting staff of home ministries to foreign missions and approved the training of Foreign Service officers to carry out multiple tasks, including administration, immigration, trade, culture and education related functions.

   The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said President Buhari stated this while declaring open an induction course organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Nigerian Career Ambassadors-designate who were recently cleared by the Senate.

   President Buhari also charged the Ambassadors-designate to change the narrative of Nigeria outside the country by playing up the positive values and outstanding contributions of Nigerians in the global arena.