Foreign Affairs Minister Warns State Governments Against Independent International Engagements

Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has advised sub-national institutions, including state governments, not to engage in foreign or international discussions without the involvement of the Federal Government or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This caution comes after a legal dispute involving Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment, a Chinese corporation, which led to the seizure of three Nigerian government jets by a French court.

The court's ruling permits the company to secure its claim of €74,459,221 by detaining Nigerian aircraft at international airports in Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse. The incident highlights the complications that can arise when state-led or other subnational actors engage in overseas discussions without proper coordination with federal authorities.

Ambassador Tuggar emphasized the importance of involving the Federal Government in any international agreements or negotiations to prevent such conflicts and safeguard Nigeria's interests abroad. He stated, "Yes, the Attorney General and I are working on it both diplomatically and from a legal perspective as well to ensure that this issue is resolved. This is part of the problem when sub-national actors like state governments take it upon themselves to go into agreements, go into international arrangements, without recourse to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without recourse to the Federal Government, and then when it goes awry, we are left with the problem to deal with."

He further stressed the importance of registering such arrangements with the relevant federal entities. "That is why it is always important that such arrangements should be registered with the mission there, with the embassy, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with the Federal Government," he added.

Ambassador Tuggar pointed out that the current issue stems from an agreement made by Ogun State under a previous administration, emphasizing that the current governor is not responsible for the situation. "All we know is that they’re going after Nigerian assets," he said.

He concluded by reiterating that foreign or international negotiations should not be the purview of sub-national actors. "You should always have those that are experienced in such an area, that have the necessary skills and the necessary training to negotiate these sorts of agreements," Tuggar advised.