Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, has said the President is set to unveil his list of ambassadors in the coming weeks.
Speaking on Channels Television’s 2024 Year-In-Review programme, Oshodi said following the announcement, the nominees would undergo Senate approval and accreditation before being deployed to Nigeria’s missions worldwide.
This comes sixteen (16) months after Tinubu recalled all career and political ambassadors representing Nigeria abroad, a move criticised by former Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Lawrence Obisakin, and former High Commissioner to Australia, Ayoola Olukanni.
Both faulted the delay in appointing replacements, emphasising the importance of fully operational foreign missions.
In September 2023, three months after Tinubu’s inauguration, the President recalled over 100 Nigerian ambassadors from their host countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, clarified at the time that ambassadors serve at the President’s discretion, making their recall a matter of presidential prerogative.
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However, the absence of new appointments has persisted, leaving Nigeria’s embassies under the leadership of chargé d’affaires and consuls general.
Despite this, Oshodi assured that the foreign missions remain functional.
Oshodi said the President has been working to ensure everything is in place for ambassadors deployment, noting that the missions inherited by Tinubu’s administration were not in the best shape.
He added that significant groundwork has been done to prepare for the arrival of ambassadors, their families, and other dignitaries.
He also highlighted that the delay is not unprecedented, saying former President Muhammadu Buhari administration took 20 months to appoint ambassadors.
Oshodi stressed that the Tinubu administration is focused on ensuring the missions are fully prepared for the new envoys.
Meanwhile, Nigeria continues to host ambassadors from other countries at its capital, Abuja, even as stakeholders urge the swift deployment of Nigerian envoys to strengthen diplomatic relations.
