Nigeria’s representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, has ordered the country’s permanent mission in New York to open an account with United Bank for Africa (UBA) after discovering no formal banking relationship had existed between the two institutions in more than four decades.

According to a report by The Guardian Nigeria, Ibrahim gave the directive during a meeting with UBA officials in New York, insisting the situation was unacceptable given that both the Nigerian mission and the bank have operated in the city for over 42 years.

The envoy said he became aware of the oversight while reviewing the mission’s financial arrangements and was surprised to learn that the Nigerian mission had no account, including a basic deposit account, with the indigenous bank despite its long-standing presence in the United States.

Ibrahim directed the mission’s Financial Attaché to complete the account opening within seven days. He said the move aligns with the Federal Government’s policy on local content and stronger public-private collaboration involving Nigerian institutions abroad.

Referencing Bola Tinubu, Ibrahim said the president expects stronger ties between government institutions and Nigerian-owned businesses operating overseas. He added that building such partnerships would support transparency, accountability and better collaboration when needed.

He also urged Nigerian private sector operators in the US to engage more actively with the mission, describing the Mission House in New York as a platform for business cooperation and investment opportunities for Nigerians in the diaspora.

Responding, UBA New York Chief Operating Officer Osilama Idokogi welcomed the decision and said the bank was ready to begin formal banking relations with the mission, noting previous efforts to establish such a partnership had not succeeded.