President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a fresh set of three non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, seeking their confirmation for diplomatic postings.
Those selected include Kayode Aare from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu of Jigawa State, and Ayodele Oke representing Oyo State.
The announcement was made during Wednesday’s plenary session, where Senate President Godswill Akpabio read out the President’s letter. Following this, he tasked the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs with vetting the nominees and presenting its findings within one week.
This development marks the first batch of ambassadorial nominations forwarded by Tinubu since assuming office on May 29, 2023. His government has faced increasing pressure to fill ambassadorial and high-commissioner roles amid concerns over administrative gaps within Nigeria’s foreign missions.
The debate intensified after reports highlighted financial and operational strain across numerous Nigerian diplomatic posts, including unpaid wages and unresolved debts to landlords and service providers.
In response to criticism earlier raised by the African Democratic Congress, ADC, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed that Nigeria’s embassies remain functional and are currently managed by experienced diplomats and chargés d’affaires. It defended the pace of appointments, stressing that:
“The appointment of ambassadors is a sovereign function—not a matter to be rushed for political convenience or partisan appeasement.
“President Tinubu, in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, is committed to reforming the foreign service architecture to ensure that future postings are driven by merit, competence, national interest, and strategic alignment—not patronage or expediency.
“Nigeria is neither voiceless nor inactive in international affairs,” it said in a statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry added that despite historical funding constraints predating the current administration, Nigerian diplomats continue to uphold their duties with professionalism, often under challenging conditions.
Tinubu had previously ordered the recall of all Nigerian ambassadors in September 2023, including an earlier directive recalling the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
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