The Presidency on Sunday confirmed that President Bola Tinubu will soon release the long-awaited list of ambassadorial appointments to oversee Nigeria’s diplomatic missions across the world.
There have been repeated calls for the President to fill the vacant ambassadorial positions, especially after he recalled all diplomats in September 2023 as part of what was described as a “comprehensive diplomatic review.”
Since the recall, most of Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions — made up of 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates — have been run by chargés d’affaires or senior consular officers who have limited capacity to represent the country in official negotiations.
Reports suggest that several foreign governments do not accord chargés d’affaires the same diplomatic weight as ambassadors, a situation believed to have contributed to some recent tensions, including issues between the United States and Nigeria relating to Donald Trump’s warning on the killing of Christians.
Responding to inquiries on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, stated that the President will appoint ambassadors “very, very soon.”
When asked how soon, he reiterated that the announcement is imminent.
Meanwhile, a source close to the Presidency revealed that the list of nominees may be released within the week. According to the source, “The list may be released before the end of the week. The President is traveling this week, maybe it will be released when he travels.”
It was also gathered that the President had earlier ordered a “final cleanup” of the ambassadorial list to remove nominees who have died, retired, or have less than a year of service remaining. Reports indicate that the Senate had previously screened the nominees, while security and background checks were completed months ago.
