President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the first batch of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, marking the beginning of a new round of diplomatic appointments.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the development on Wednesday during plenary, noting that the initial list contains three nominees, with more expected to follow.

The nominees are:

• Kayode Are – Ogun State
• Aminu Dalhatu – Jigawa State
• Ayodele Oke

“The list contains three names for now. I am sure others will follow,” Akpabio told lawmakers after reading the president’s letter.

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Context: Nigeria Has Been Without Ambassadors Since 2023

The submissions come more than two years after the Federal Government recalled all Nigerian ambassadors from missions across the world.

Nigeria operates 109 foreign missions—76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates—but has been without substantive ambassadors since September 2023.

At the time, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar clarified that both career and non-career envoys were recalled on President Tinubu’s directive, noting that ambassadors “serve at the pleasure of the President.”

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Financial Strain on Missions

The delay in appointing new ambassadors has coincided with severe welfare challenges in Nigeria’s foreign missions.

• In July 2024, reports indicated that diplomats were owed six months’ salaries.
• By early 2024, about 450 foreign service officers in 109 missions had gone five to six months without pay.
• Many were reportedly unable to pay rent, school fees, or meet basic obligations.

Minister Tuggar later attributed the delay in new appointments to Nigeria’s economic and fiscal difficulties.

In November 2024, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs urged the Federal Government to increase funding for foreign missions to ensure they function effectively.

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Diplomatic Context

The renewed push to fill ambassadorial positions also comes at a time when Nigeria faces heightened international scrutiny, including pressure from the United States over escalating insecurity and allegations of religiously targeted violence.