The federal government has tightened controls on overseas travel by political appointees and senior public officials, requiring prior clearance from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) before they can embark on official foreign trips.
The new directive also requires the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to demand proof of approval from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s office before processing official travel documentation, including diplomatic, official and service visas for government appointees.
The measure was contained in a circular signed by George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and circulated to ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of government agencies and other senior officials.
The government said the directive was necessary because some officials had continued to travel abroad on official assignments without obtaining the required authorisation. The circular said officials were acting ‘contrary to extant government directives and established administrative procedures regulating official travels outside the country.’
The requirement applies to ministers, heads of ministries, departments and agencies, members of government boards and committees and other federal appointees. It exempts cases where a different arrangement is expressly permitted by law or directed by the president.
The government said the policy was aimed at reinforcing control over official foreign engagements, improving accountability and limiting unnecessary public expenditure. It cited several previous directives issued between 2012 and 2023 governing foreign travel by ministers, agency heads, board chairmen and other public officials.
Despite those measures, the government said violations had persisted. ‘Despite these directives, instances of non-compliance continue to be recorded,’ the circular said.
The latest move comes as the government faces increased scrutiny over people and organisations claiming to act on behalf of the federal administration, including foreign engagements conducted in Nigeria’s name.
The controversy surrounding Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who described himself as Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), has intensified questions about how individuals can present themselves as government representatives without clear evidence of official authorisation.
The new rules, however, extend beyond such cases and apply broadly to federal government appointees travelling abroad on official business.
Under the directive, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to make evidence of valid approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation part of the documentation required for official travel-related requests. This includes applications for Notes Verbales, diplomatic facilitation and official foreign travel.
Foreign missions and embassies accredited to Nigeria are also to be notified of the requirement. Applications for official, diplomatic or service visas by government appointees are expected to carry the relevant travel approval where applicable.
The government said the move would give foreign missions an additional mechanism for confirming that officials seeking official travel documents had received authorisation from the Nigerian government.
The directive also places responsibility on the Auditor-General for the Federation to verify compliance during audits. Officials who travel abroad at public expense may be required to produce evidence that the trip had received the necessary clearance.
Public expenditure associated with unauthorised foreign travel will also face scrutiny, with the government warning that such spending could be reported under applicable financial and audit rules.
Accounting officers, permanent secretaries and heads of federal agencies have been instructed to ensure that public funds are not released for official foreign travel unless the required approval has already been obtained.
The circular said the requirement was intended to support ‘due process, centralised coordination of government business and prudent management of public resources.’
The SGF directed ministers, permanent secretaries, accounting officers and agency heads to enforce the policy immediately. It also said the new instruction would override administrative practices that conflict with the directive, while leaving existing laws and regulations on official foreign travel intact.
The circular was distributed to senior officials across the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government, as well as security agencies, financial regulators, revenue bodies, anti-corruption institutions and government-owned companies.