FG Bans Foreign Trips for Appointees without Clearance

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The Federal Government of Nigeria has imposed a strict ban prohibiting ministers, heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), and other political appointees from undertaking official foreign travel without prior approval from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The directive signals a sweeping administrative crackdown aimed at enforcing fiscal discipline and tightening oversight across state institutions.

​To enforce compliance, the government instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enforce mandatory verification procedures for all official travel documentation.

Under the new protocol, diplomatic missions and processing offices must verify valid OSGF clearance before issuing or processing official, diplomatic, or service visas for any government appointee seeking overseas travel.

​The policy was formally communicated via an official circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. Distributed to top government officials, permanent secretaries, and heads of major federal establishments, the directive establishes a centralized authorization mechanism for all international engagements funded or sponsored by the state.

​This institutional review follows public scrutiny surrounding individuals operating under unauthorized government credentials. High-profile controversies, including engagements by the self-styled Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, exposed key gaps in how individuals conduct international business in Nigeria’s name without verifiable state authorization.