A popular TV personality, Oseni Rufai, has revealed the monthly salaries of Nigerian ambassadors.
This follows the list of Ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on Saturday.
Tinubu forwarded the names of 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, following the recent submission of an initial three nominees.
The list included former Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, Reno Omokri, former Enugu Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, among others.
Rufai explained that the salary of a Nigerian ambassador, as a senior Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is governed by the Consolidated Diplomatic, Consular and Foreign Service Cadre Salary Structure, CONPSS, in the Nigerian public service.
Ambassadors typically fall into the highest grade levels (GL 17 or equivalent), with additional allowances for overseas postings.
Based on available data from government budget allocations, salary surveys, and reports on foreign service personnel costs, the basic salary is modest by international standards but is supplemented by substantial allowances.
Exact figures can vary by posting location, experience, and currency fluctuations (as of November 2025, 1 USD is about 1,650 NGN).
The Arise TV journalist explained that the “Basic salary of an ambassador includes a monthly basic pay of approximately N800,000 to N1,200,000 (about $485–$727 USD).
He said that this is drawn from the CONPSS scale for top-tier diplomatic officers, adding that entry-level foreign service officers start at around N300,000–N500,000 monthly, but ambassadors, being at the pinnacle of the career ladder, command the upper end.
“Annual Basic Salary: N9.6 million to N14.4 million (about $5,818–$8,727 USD).
“These figures align with general public sector pay for Grade Level 17 officers, adjusted for inflation and the 2025 minimum wage increase to N70,000.
“However, basic pay alone does not reflect total compensation, as diplomats receive significant extras to cover living costs abroad.
Key Allowances and Total Compensation Nigerian ambassadors posted overseas receive a package designed to offset high living expenses, hardship, and representational duties.
“Total monthly take-home pay often exceeds N2–5 million ($1,212–$3,030 USD), depending on the host country…”
