Abuja, Nigeria – February 20, 2026 –
Nigerian immigration attachés posted to diplomatic missions across the world have reportedly gone unpaid for more than 15 months, leaving many in severe financial distress and forcing some to send their families back home.
SaharaReporters reports that officers responsible for visa processing, passport services, and other immigration documentation for Nigerians and foreigners are struggling to cope with the prolonged non-payment of their official allowances. Nigeria operates over 100 missions and embassies abroad, and the crisis is affecting multiple posts.
The situation has drawn the attention of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, which confirmed the matter in a letter to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
In a letter dated February 12, 2026, signed by Committee Chairman Hon. Oluwole Oke (Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency), lawmakers noted that their oversight visits to Nigerian missions revealed that immigration attachés are owed allocations for the 2024 and 2025 budget periods.
The Committee warned that non-payment, combined with understaffed missions, is negatively affecting the efficiency of Nigeria’s foreign operations and harming the country’s international image.
“Immigration attachés across various missions are being owed allocations from 2024–2025. Some missions also lack sufficient personnel to effectively carry out their responsibilities,” the Committee stated.
“This is impacting Nigeria’s image and the implementation of our foreign policy.”
The lawmakers have demanded clear explanations from the NIS Comptroller General, with a deadline set for February 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., for submission of both hard and digital copies of relevant documents to the National Assembly in Abuja.
Reports of unpaid allowances are not new. As early as 2024, officers reported delays dating back to December 2023, with some arrears only partially cleared months later. By mid-2025, several officers publicly appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that continued neglect was making Nigeria “a laughing stock” internationally.
The NIS attachés play a critical role in supporting Nigerian missions abroad, assisting citizens in distress, facilitating travel documentation, and ensuring immigration compliance. The prolonged delays in payment threaten the sustainability of consular services and the welfare of personnel representing Nigeria overseas.
SUNTV Global will continue to monitor this developing story and report updates as the House of Representatives committee engages the Nigeria Immigration Service.
