President Bola Tinubu is set to transmit the names of ambassadors-designate to the Senate for screening and confirmation following his trip to France and South Africa.
News reports states that the Nigerian leader on Wednesday left Abuja for a three-day state visit to France at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron. Afterwards, he is expected in South Africa for a state visit.
The list, which comprises nominees who will serve as Nigeria’s ambassadors and high commissioners to various countries and multilateral organisations, is expected to be sent to the Senate in early December.
This development comes 14 months after 83 ambassadors were recalled in September 2023, leaving a diplomatic void. Nigeria has 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally.
According to government officials, the delay in appointing new ambassadors was due to a thorough process that involved compiling and forwarding the names of prospective career diplomats to the President for consideration.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that the ministry had completed this process and forwarded the names to the President.
“We have collated everything on our part and forwarded it to Mr President,” Tuggar said in March.
While it is unclear whether the nominees are political or career diplomats, indications suggest that they primarily comprise the latter. Career diplomats are determined by their progression through the Foreign Service, while political diplomats are often appointees of the President.
In a recent interview, a government official confirmed that the appointment was imminent.
“Ambassadorial appointments require approval from the National Assembly. So, the list will be submitted to the Senate President, who will then announce it. But it has not been submitted yet. Yes, I can confirm that.”
The official explained that once the list is submitted, the Senate will screen the appointees, and then the President will send a letter to the host country informing them of the appointment. The host country will then conduct background checks on the appointees before accepting them.
His words, “Once submitted to the Senate President, they will publish it the following day. So, that means it would be until he (President Tinubu) comes back from France and South Africa because he is going to South Africa from France for a state visit. After that, he will release it,” said the official..”
On the identities of the designates, sources revealed that a senior official in the President’s media team had been pencilled down for the appointment. Additionally, a founder of a tier-one bank, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, and the Speaker of a House of Assembly in the North were also considered for ambassadorial roles.
The delay in appointing new ambassadors has raised concerns, with many decisions on hold due to the lack of representation at key diplomatic missions.
A government official stated, “It has been a long coming. Many decisions are on hold because our missions and embassies are still expecting new diplomats. Major meetings are happening around the world without us because we have no representation at such levels.
“The President cannot be everywhere at the same time. The minister of foreign affairs cannot do everything by himself.”
It can be recalled that the Foreign Affairs minister revealed on May 28 that financial constraints were the main reason behind the delay in appointing new ambassadors. Shortly after, Eche Abu-Ode, the former spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, echoed this sentiment, stating that new ambassadorial appointments would depend on budget allocations.