Nigeria has been described as a "linchpin" of U.S. African policy. The United States depends on Nigeria for oil imports, support in the fight against terrorism, assistance in promoting regional stability, and as a major market with growth potential for U.S. exporters. The Ambassador and his country team have a clear understanding of U.S. interests in Nigeria and have had success in advancing that agenda. He and the deputy chief of mission have effective, ready access to the highest levels of the Nigerian government.
The major problem for the U.S. mission to Nigeria is staffing shortfalls in Abuja and Lagos, particularly the inability to fill midlevel positions. This same key judgment was cited in OIG?s last two inspection reports, issued in 1993 and 1997. There can be no real progress on other vital issues as long as the mission has long staffing gaps, relying on makeshift arrangements of junior officers, temporary duty retirees, Civil Service employees on excursion tours, and contract employees to fill key positions. Consular operations, almost entirely based in Lagos, need additional staffing. CA has begun to address this situation by providing additional temporary duty staff.
There remain some problems arising from the transfer of the embassy from Lagos to Abuja in 1999. Embassy Abuja consists of three small residential buildings in a single compound. It lacks the space and administrative support necessary for the growing demands placed on it as the Department and other U.S. government agencies locate more staff in Abuja. There are plans to build a new embassy in Abuja, but groundbreaking has been postponed twice, and it is unclear when the project will begin. The new embassy will likely not be completed for several years, and its proposed size may be inadequate for projected staffing increases. Further, the transfer of the embassy has resulted in some confusion over lines of authority within the mission and disagreements over resource allocation. This situation has contributed to inefficient operations, weaknesses in management controls, misunderstandings, and low morale, and it should be a priority for mission management to resolve.
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