The Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN), a diaspora group based in the United States, has raised alarm over what it described as the appalling state of the Nigerian Consulate and Permanent Mission building in New York.
In a statement, the group highlighted severe infrastructural decay, poor working conditions and the delayed payment of staff salaries at Nigeria House, a prominent high-rise in Manhattan that accommodates Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Consulate General.
OAN’s spokesperson, Ms. Funmi Dike, called the situation dire and in urgent need of intervention by the Nigerian government.
“Permanent Mission and Consulate staff are forced to work in suffocating, oven-like conditions, relying on hand-held fans strapped to their bodies. This imposing structure, once a symbol of national pride and diplomatic strength, has now become a metaphor for systemic neglect and administrative irresponsibility.”
The group reported that the building’s central air conditioning and ventilation systems had completely failed, making the work environment unbearable, especially during New York’s intense summer heat.
“It is not just inconvenient; it is dangerous,” Dike said.
“Diplomats, unable to host visiting dignitaries in such an environment, are now resorting to conducting bilateral and multilateral meetings outside the premises,” the statement said.
“This is an indictment on our country’s global image.”
The group further lamented the delays in payment of salaries and allowances to both home-based officers and locally recruited staff, warning that such lapses could result in hardship and diminish professional standards.
“This is unacceptable in any civilised society, let alone for officers posted abroad to represent Nigeria. In the U.S., where rent and mortgages are due monthly, this is a direct assault on their dignity and livelihood.”
OAN warned that continued failure to pay workers could lead to homelessness, legal challenges, and reputational damage to the country.
Despite previous appeals to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, the group said no concrete action has been taken.
“The Nigeria House in New York is not just another government property; it is Nigeria’s face in the international community. Its current state is not just a maintenance issue; it is a national embarrassment and a threat to Nigeria’s global standing.”
“We expect that the institutions designed to serve and represent us will be treated with the seriousness they deserve. Let this moment become a turning point where neglect gives way to action and where the dignity of Nigeria and its representatives abroad is protected and elevated.”
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