The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attributed the disconnection of electricity to the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa, to delays in the passage of Nigeria’s 2026 national budget.
Power to the mission was cut on Monday by the City of Tshwane, whose Executive Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, confirmed the action on X, stating: “#TshwaneYaTima: We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services.”
Moya shared a photograph of the embassy building alongside the post.
Responding to the blackout, MFA spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, explained that the unpaid bills were due to funding constraints caused by the budget delay.
He said, “If they say Nigeria has not paid in January, that means there is no money for Nigeria to pay in January because the budget has not been passed.”
He added, “The Nigeria mission in Pretoria has not paid because money has not been sent to them since the budget is not yet in place.”
Ebienfa further stated that the ministry was engaging with both the mission and South African authorities to resolve the matter promptly.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the unfortunate development regarding the electricity blackout. We are in touch with our mission in Pretoria and we are trying our best to make sure the outstanding bills are paid and the electricity is restored with immediate effect to ensure the smooth running of the mission,” he said.
Ebienfa noted that the situation is systemic, explaining that foreign missions can experience funding shortages whenever there is a delay in budget approval.
“The issue is that our budget has not been passed. If budgets are not passed, missions don’t have any money,” he said.
The incident has also renewed concerns about the absence of substantive ambassadors at several Nigerian missions.
On this, Ebienfa said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has so far approved ambassadorial appointments to three countries only — the UK, France and the US. South Africa was not in the mix. The President will send ambassadors whenever he feels it’s appropriate.”
Since President Tinubu assumed office, several Nigerian embassies and high commissions have operated without ambassadors, creating administrative and operational challenges, including funding and staffing constraints.
Ebienfa, however, assured that efforts were ongoing to clear the Pretoria mission’s arrears and restore electricity as soon as possible.
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