President Bola Tinubu has authorised the posting of four ambassador-designates to key foreign missions, marking the first deployments from the batch of diplomats confirmed by the Senate in December 2025.
The approvals cover Nigeria’s missions in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Turkey, according to a statement from the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Among the appointees, Ayodele Oke has been confirmed as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to France, while Lateef Are has been assigned as ambassador-designate to the United States of America. Additionally, Amin Dalhatu, a former Nigerian ambassador to South Korea, has been posted as High Commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.
Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, former governor of Kebbi State, will serve as ambassador-designate to Turkey, where President Tinubu is scheduled to begin a state visit next week.
In a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the resident instructed the ministry to notify the governments of the host countries regarding the ambassador-designates, in accordance with diplomatic procedures.
The postings come from the 68 ambassadorial nominees confirmed by the Senate last December, following months of vacancies across Nigeria’s foreign missions.
On December 18, 2025, the Senate confirmed 64 career and non-career ambassadors after reviewing a report from the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Earlier, on December 4, 2025, President Tinubu had submitted a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees for Senate confirmation, including 34 career diplomats and 31 non-career nominees. Prior approvals of the three non-career nominees increased the total number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.
Nigeria’s foreign missions had remained largely headless since September 2023, when President Tinubu recalled all ambassadors shortly after assuming office, part of a review of Nigeria’s diplomatic posture.
The deployment of the first batch of ambassadors is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s engagement with strategic partners, particularly in diplomacy, trade, security cooperation, and investment.
The United States, United Kingdom, and France remain among Nigeria’s most significant diplomatic and economic partners.
The list of non-career appointees includes prominent political figures such as former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode, former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, and former presidential aide Reno Omokri.
Although only four postings have been approved so far, diplomatic sources indicate that further deployments will follow in phases as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs completes consultations with host countries. The government has not yet announced a timeline for the posting of the remaining ambassador-designates.
