FG tightens rules, warns appointees against foreign trips without SGF’s approval

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Akume

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By Omeiza Ajayi

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ABUJA: The Federal Government has tightened regulations guiding official foreign travels by government appointees, warning that none of its appointees will be allowed to embark on official trips abroad without prior approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF.

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The warning was contained in a circular dated August 13, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume, and addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President, all Ministers, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and other top government functionaries.

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The circular, with reference number PRS59648/S.13/TI/335, decried the persistent disregard for extant travel guidelines by public officials despite several directives issued by government over the years to regulate the practice.

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According to the SGF, “It has been observed with concern that some Federal Government Appointees continue to embark on official foreign trips without obtaining prior approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF, contrary to extant Government directives and established administrative procedures regulating official travels outside the country.”

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Akume listed previous circulars issued to check the trend, including the Guidelines for Official Travels by Cabinet Members, Heads of Agencies and Public Officials of September 18, 2023; the Guidelines for Official Trips by Chairmen of Federal Government Committees, Boards of Corporations and Government-Owned Companies of March 31, 2015; the Additional Cost Control Measures to Guide Foreign Trips by Ministers and Senior Government Officials of September 27, 2017; a circular on Observed Indifferent Adherence to Extant Regulations Guiding the Conduct of Foreign Trips by Public Officials dated March 8, 2018; and the Further Cost-Cutting Measures and Fiscal Prudence on Travel by Cabinet Members circular of November 20, 2012.

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Despite these directives, he noted that instances of non-compliance continue to be recorded, stressing that the trend undermines Government’s efforts to ensure proper coordination, accountability, transparency, prudent management of public resources and effective monitoring of official foreign engagements undertaken on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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The SGF declared that all official foreign trips undertaken by Federal Government appointees shall continue to require prior approval from the OSGF before such trips are undertaken, except where otherwise expressly provided by law or by specific Presidential directive.

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According to him, the requirement is consistent with the principles of due process, centralized coordination of Government business and prudent management of public resources, as reflected in the Public Service Rules, 2021 Edition, and the Financial Regulations, Revised Edition, January 2009.

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To strengthen compliance, the circular directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to include evidence of valid OSGF approval as a mandatory requirement in the processing of requests for official Notes Verbales, diplomatic facilitation and all applications relating to official foreign travel by Government Appointees.

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The Ministry was also asked to formally communicate this requirement to all Foreign Missions and Embassies accredited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, advising that applications for Official, Diplomatic or Service Visas by Government Appointees should, where applicable, be accompanied by duly issued OSGF travel approval as part of the mandatory supporting documentation.

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The Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation was also directed to require every Government Appointee who undertook an official foreign trip at public expense to produce evidence of the requisite OSGF approval during audit exercises.

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The circular warned that “any expenditure incurred in respect of official foreign travel undertaken without the required approval shall be reported appropriately in accordance with extant Financial Regulations and applicable audit procedures.”

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Akume equally directed Accounting Officers, Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers and Heads of Federal Government Agencies to ensure that no expenditure relating to official foreign travel by Government Appointees is processed unless the requisite OSGF approval has first been obtained.

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He called on all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the circular.

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The circular, he said, takes immediate effect and supersedes any administrative practice inconsistent with its provisions, without prejudice to existing extant regulations governing official foreign travel.

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