Federal Ministry of Foreign affairs

The Ministry began as a Department in the Prime Minister’s office in 1957 with a core group twelve officers drawn from across the nation and humorously referred to as the” TWELVE APOSTLES.” The first assignment of this nucleus group of foreign service officers was to serve as Third Secretaries and Vice-Consuls in various British embassies and Consular posts worldwide. With the attainment of independence in 1960, the Government established a separate ministry, which was called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth elations.

Prime Minister, Sir Tafawa Balewa personally took charge of the affairs of the Ministry and ran it, from his office. It was not until Nigeria attained the Republic status in 1963 that a substantive Foreign Minister was appointed in the person of late Dr. Jaja Wachukwu and the title of the Ministry changed to Ministry of External Affairs. Later in 1990, the nomenclature of the Ministry changed to Ministry of foreign Affairs.

The Ministry has had sixteen (16) Foreign Ministers from Dr. Jaja Wachukwu to Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, sixteen Ministers of State from Dr Abubakar Usman to Aihaji Abubakar A. Tanko and a total of eighteen (18) Permanent Secretaries from Ambassador L.O.U. Anionwu to Ambassador N.U.O Wadibia-Anyanwu, nmi. The personnel rose from an initial staff of twelve Foreign Service Officers in 1957 to close to two thousand staff at present apart from the staff of the Executive Cadre and the cadres of other services. It has fifty four (54) Directors, making it the largest in terms of Directors in the Federal Civil Service.

VISION

To build an efficient Directorate that is knowledge based, technology driven in service delivery in pursuit of Nigeria National interests, especially in fostering South-South Cooperation through the provision of Development Assistance to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP).

MISSION

Committed to the pursuit of implementing the provisions of the status as well as ensuring the attainment of the objectives of the Scheme, the Directorate of TAC which is a parastatal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the overall management and general administration of the scheme; conduct of recruitment and orientation exercises for volunteers, deployment of volunteers to recipient countries and debriefing of volunteers on their final return to the country.

ROLE OF THE MINISTRY

The responsibilities of the Ministry as spelt out in chapter 2, section 19, of the Nigeria Constitution include:

• The promotion and protection of the national interest:
• The attraction of direct foreign investment into Nigeria and securing of market access for Nigeria Products and for the enhancement of her capability in the pursuit of the country’s national interest,
• Prevention, Management and Resolution of Conflicts in troubled spots in Africa, particularly West Africa.
• Promotion of international Cooperation for the consolidation of Universal Peace and Mutual respect among all nations and elimination of racial discrimination in all its ramifications;
• Respect for International Law and treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiations, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication and promotion of a just world economic order.

SERVICES RENDERED

• CONSCIOUS of the Directorate’s vision and Mission statement.
• MINDFUL of the roles of the Directorate
• CONVINCED that in this era of International Cooperation and Integration, assistance in the area of technical know-how and the internalization of our professionals is in tandem with the realization of our national interest.
• COGNIZANT of the manifest destiny of Nigeria to be in the vanguard of leading Africa and Africans in Diaspora;
• AWARE of the important role the Directorate of TAC should play in fostering International friendship, understanding and increased contacts between the people of Nigeria and those of ACP countries;
• REALIZING the need to respond promptly and appropriately to the welfare and interests of the volunteers as well as the recipient countries;
• Input to policy – Prepare timely briefs, draft speeches and statements for use of the HMFA, HMOS for FA and Permanent Secretary on TAC related matters.
• Consular Service – Procurement of official passports and visas to the volunteers. In the case of emergencies like war and natural disasters or serious illness that cannot be treated locally, evacuates the affected volunteers earlier to safety or for treatment in Nigeria.
• Generation and Sustenance of Goodwill – facilitate interaction between the volunteers and the people of the recipient countries – (ACP countries) in order to establish and secure goodwill towards Nigeria and Nigerians.
• Development of frameworks to guide relations – Initiate, articulate, negotiate and sign agreements with volunteers on one hand and the recipient countries on other hand, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in order to establish legal structures to enhance an effective realization of the TAC objectives.
• Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM)
• Directorate’s Standing Committee on Enforcement of Discipline and TAC Desk officers in our Diplomatic Missions.

STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY

The Office of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs
This is a political office headed by a Minister who is the political head of the Ministry.  He is usually appointed by the President and reports directly to him.  His job is purely political and he represents the Ministry in the Federal Executive Council.

Consequent on a recent directive from the Presidency, the Ministry has been merged with the Ministry of Co-operation and Integration in Africa.   Attached here-with is the proposed Basic Re-Structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Contact Address:

Maputo Street
off Abidjan Street
Wuse Zone 3,
P.M.B. 130, Garki
Abuja.
[email protected]

more information on NigerianForeign affairs

The Office of the Honourable Minister of State
This is also a political office, headed by a Minister of State.  He is directly responsible for the following offices:

• Staff Clinic
• Technical Aid Corps Directorate
• Directorate of Pilgrims Affairs

The Permanent Secretary’s Office
The Permanent Secretary is directly responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Ministry.  He is the Accounting Officer of the Ministry.

1. • Then, Nine departments, Four units, One directorate of Technical
     Aid Corps.
   • In Lagos, a Liaison office and a Foreign Services Academy.
   • 101 Overseas Missions.
     The organogram of the Ministry (both Old and New) is attached
     herewith.
   • The Ministry, ever since its re-location to Abuja in 1990 has undergone some reforms in its service delivery such as improved Communication system, Provision of access to the (INTERNET) for all members of Staff in order to meet-up with the global trend and really position itself to effectively articulate and implement Nigerian Foreign Policy.

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