Tinubu submits an ambassador list of three nominees to the Senate after a long diplomatic delay.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, speaking through a formal communication to the National Assembly in Abuja on 27 November 2025, submitted an ambassador list of three non-career nominees to Senate President Godswill Akpabio for confirmation, signalling the first major reconstitution of Nigeria’s diplomatic corps since 2023.
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Godswill Akpabio announced the transmission during Wednesday’s plenary, which was broadcast on the National Assembly’s YouTube channel.
The nominees are Kayode Are from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa State and Ayodele Oke.
Godswill Akpabio read the president’s letter titled Request for confirmation of appointments of non-career ambassador designates, noting that the constitutional provisions of Section 171 guided the selection.
Godswill Akpabio added that the list contained only three names for now but suggested further submissions were expected.
He directed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to complete its screening and report back within one week.
The development ends a long period in which Bola Ahmed Tinubu faced sustained criticism for failing to appoint ambassadors after taking office in 2023.
His recall of envoys from 109 foreign missions in September 2023, described at the time as a comprehensive diplomatic review, left most missions in the hands of chargés d’affaires with limited authority to represent Nigeria in high-level negotiations.
Senior officials familiar with the process said security and background checks on potential nominees had been completed earlier in November.
One top official, who spoke anonymously, said the list had been ready for weeks and required only presidential approval.
The prolonged absence of ambassadors contributed to diplomatic strains, including Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern by former United States President Donald Trump, who once issued a stark warning about alleged killings of Christians.
That episode underscored what analysts called a fragile moment for Nigeria’s global standing.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu has often acknowledged the political sensitivity of ambassadorial appointments.
During a visit by The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State Governor Senator Tanko Almakura on 2 September 2025, he described the effort to balance competing interests as demanding and said he still had positions to fill.
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His remark that stitching those names was not easy offered rare insight into the pressures surrounding the process.
