During her Senate screening on Wednesday, ministerial nominee Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu shared the difficulties she faced as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, noting that she had to live in a hotel for a year because of the poor condition of the Nigerian embassy in Madrid.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu was nominated by President Bola Tinubu for the position of Minister of State, Foreign Affairs.
Speaking at screening before the Senate on Wednesday, she detailed how the embassy’s deteriorated condition did not align with Nigeria’s image abroad and how it motivated her to lead an extensive refurbishment project.
Bianca said, “I would like to say that my past records speak for me. As an ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, I spent an entire year in one hotel room because when I got to Spain, the mission building was in such an appalling condition.”
She recounted that the building’s ruin was particularly embarrassing given its location.
“The embassy was located very close to the upscale estate of Galagao, where people would pass by on their way to various events and matches.
“It was disheartening that this decadent structure represented Nigeria in such a prestigious area,” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that she took immediate steps to address the issues, organising significant repairs and preservation efforts to overhaul not only the mission building but also the ambassador’s residence and other Nigerian-owned properties in Spain.
The Nigerian embassy in Madrid that you see today is the product of my time in that country,” she said, noting that her focus was to restore Nigeria’s image to one that “truly deserves a designation of outstanding.”
She also highlighted the ongoing challenges Nigerian embassies face worldwide due to limited funding, which often constrains ambassadors in performing much-needed maintenance.
Leave a Reply