President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted the names of three non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation—his first such submission since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
The nominees are:
Kayode Aare (Ogun State)
Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State)
Ayodele Oke (Oyo State)
The letter conveying the nominations was read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary.
Akpabio subsequently directed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to scrutinise the nominees and report back to the chamber within one week.
Calls for Ambassadorial Appointments Intensified
The submission of nominees comes amid months of pressure on the Presidency to appoint ambassadors and high commissioners to man Nigeria’s foreign missions. Diplomatic stakeholders had raised alarms over prolonged vacancies, particularly following the recall of all Nigerian envoys in September 2023.
Former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, was among those who publicly urged the administration to act swiftly, stressing that diplomacy still relies heavily on direct ambassadorial engagement despite advancements in digital communication.
“The absence of ambassadors does not deny us information. But diplomacy runs on ambassadorial contact—the interaction between governments and ambassadors,” Akinyemi said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Foreign Missions Grapple With Operational Challenges
The Federal Government previously acknowledged that several Nigerian embassies and consulates have been battling financial and logistical constraints, including delayed staff salaries and outstanding payments to landlords and service providers.
In response to criticisms, including those from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that Nigerian missions remain functional and ably represented by seasoned career diplomats and chargés d’affaires.
In a statement signed by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry noted that ambassadorial appointments are a sovereign prerogative—not a process to be rushed for political 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,” the statement read.
The Ministry also acknowledged longstanding funding and structural challenges that predate the current administration but commended Nigerian diplomats for continuing to represent the nation with professionalism despite difficult conditions.
Background
In September 2023, President Tinubu ordered the recall of all ambassadors, including Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Ishola, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
The latest nominations signal the President’s first major step toward fully reconstituting Nigeria’s diplomatic corps.
