In a rare diplomatic showdown over municipal arrears, the City of Tshwane on Monday, February 2, 2026, disconnected the electricity supply to the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria due to outstanding utility bills. The move was part of the city’s aggressive “#TshwaneYaTima” credit-control campaign, which targets high-debt consumers regardless of their diplomatic or institutional status.
The disconnection was publicly confirmed by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Dr. Nasiphi Moya, who posted a photograph of the mission building on social media with a firm message that the High Commission owed the city for vital utility services. The blackout briefly disrupted operations at the embassy before the Nigerian mission reportedly cleared the arrears later that same day.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs attributed the payment delay to the late passage of Nigeria’s 2026 national budget. Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa explained that the lack of an approved budget had created a temporary funding gap for foreign missions, preventing the timely release of overhead costs for January. He noted that the ministry is working to ensure that such “systemic” delays do not lead to further embarrassments for Nigeria’s diplomatic offices abroad.
This incident marks the latest in a series of utility-related embarrassments for Nigerian missions in South Africa. In 2023, the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg faced a similar power cut over a debt exceeding R600,000, and reports indicated another brief disconnection occurred as recently as September 2025.
Mayor Moya later expressed gratitude to the Nigerian High Commission for “honouring its debt,” confirming that power had been restored. However, the incident has reignited debates in both nations regarding the financial health of foreign missions and the strict enforcement of municipal laws in South Africa’s capital. For the Nigerian diaspora, the event serves as a stark reminder of the administrative hurdles currently facing the country’s diplomatic representations during the ongoing budget cycle.
