The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has said the poor budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the envelope budget system is hindering its operations.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Oluwole Oke stated this at the 2025 budget defence session on Tuesday.

He faulted the envelope budgeting system, saying that it is not recognised by any law in Nigeria.

Oke added that the allocation of only N286 million to the ministry to service Nigeria’s 109 missions abroad was grossly inadequate.

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He described the budget as too poor for missions that were supposed to mirror the country’s image, adding that documents submitted by the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the committee had shown that the ministry had proposed N1.5 trillion as its budget based on its needs assessments.

The committee Chairman said, “We are worried that what you submitted to Mr President was not based on needs assessment, and it is at variance with the law.”

In his presentation, the Director General (DG) Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi informed that budgetary allocation for the missions had been increased by 25 per cent in the 2025 budget.

He called on the National Assembly to pass the tax reform bills in order to boost the nation’s revenue generation.

Kurfi recommended the reduction of the number of Nigeria’s foreign missions until the country had a better revenue generation. He said that his hands were tied on the issue of envelope budgeting system.