President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reportedly putting the final touches on the long-awaited appointment of new ambassadors to head Nigeria’s foreign missions, following months of vacancies and growing diplomatic unease — particularly in the wake of recent tensions with the United States.
Presidency sources confirmed that the President has ordered a “final cleanup” of the ambassadorial list to replace nominees who have died, retired, or withdrawn from consideration. The updated list is expected to be unveiled soon after final verification and approval.
This development comes nearly two years after Tinubu recalled all ambassadors from Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions as part of what the Presidency described as a comprehensive diplomatic review. Since then, most embassies have been led by chargés d’affaires or senior consular officers — officials who lack the full authority of ambassadors to represent Nigeria in high-level international engagements.
According to officials familiar with the process, the absence of ambassadors has weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic visibility and slowed responses to sensitive global developments, including the recent controversy triggered by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of possible military action in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.
“Having ambassadors in place will help Nigeria engage more effectively, especially in times of tension,” one senior government source said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, is expected to meet with President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja to finalise the list before it is sent for official announcement.
Diplomatic observers say the appointments are crucial to reasserting Nigeria’s presence on the global stage, rebuilding confidence among international partners, and managing strained relations with key allies, including the United States and neighbouring African countries.
An official statement from the Presidency confirming the ambassadorial appointments is expected in the coming days.
