President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of 65 ambassadors—comprising 31 career diplomats and 34 non-career appointees—to Nigerian missions across the world and to the United Nations.
The ambassadors-designate were earlier confirmed by the Nigerian Senate in December, paving the way for their deployment to key diplomatic posts.
Among the prominent non-career appointees are Ambassador Lateef Kayode Are to the United States, Aminu Dalhatu to the United Kingdom, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau to China, Reno Omokri to Mexico, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Others include Femi Fani-Kayode to Germany, Prof. Isaac Adewole to Canada, Senator Grace Bent to Togo, and Senator Ita Enang to South Africa, among several political and professional figures tapped to represent Nigeria abroad.
The list also features notable postings such as Yakubu N. Gambo to Saudi Arabia, Mahmud Yakubu to Qatar, and Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu to Israel.
In the career diplomatic category, seasoned envoys were assigned to strategic missions across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
These include Ambassador Mohammed Mahmud Lele to Algeria, Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno to Egypt, Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru to India, and Ambassador Ayeni Adebayo Emmanuel to Belgium.
Others were posted to diplomatic missions in Morocco, Kenya, Malaysia, Tanzania, Switzerland, Namibia, Thailand, Senegal, Ghana, and Sudan, among several countries.
According to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the process of obtaining agrément—formal approval from host countries—has already begun for the envoys.
The ministry confirmed that the United Kingdom has granted agrément for the High Commissioner-designate, Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu, while France has also approved Ambassador Ayo Oke as Nigeria’s envoy.
Diplomatic observers say the large-scale deployment marks one of the most extensive ambassadorial postings in recent years and is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign relations, trade diplomacy and global engagement.
The new ambassadors are expected to assume duties in their respective missions once final diplomatic clearances are completed.
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