President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the deployment of 65 ambassadors-designate to Nigerian diplomatic missions around the world, including the country’s mission to the United Nations.
The list consists of 31 career diplomats and 34 non-career ambassadors whose nominations were confirmed by the Nigerian Senate in December last year.
The postings were announced in a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Among the non-career ambassadors are former presidential aide Reno Omokri, posted to Mexico; former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode to Germany; former Minister of Health Isaac Folorunso Adewole to Canada; and former Interior Minister Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau to China.
Others include Jimoh Ibrahim, who will serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Grace Bent to Togo, Ita Enang to South Africa, and former Director-General of the State Security Service, Lateef Kayode Are, to the United States.
The career ambassadors were assigned to several strategic missions across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including Egypt, India, Belgium, Morocco, Malaysia, Iran, Ghana and Kenya.
According to the presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nigeria has already received agrément from the government of the United Kingdom for the country’s High Commissioner-designate, Aminu Dalhatu.
France has also granted agrément to Ambassador-designate Ayo Oke, clearing the way for his deployment to Paris.
“The ministry has forwarded the names of the other envoys to their respective host countries and requested agrément in line with diplomatic protocol,” the statement said.
President Tinubu further directed the Foreign Affairs Ministry to begin the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners as part of preparations for their assumption of duty.
