President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of 65 ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions and the United Nations, following their confirmation by the Senate last December.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, detailing the deployment of 31 non-career ambassadors and 34 career diplomats to various countries across the world.
Among the non-career envoys approved for diplomatic missions are Senator Grace Bent to Togo, Senator Ita Enang to South Africa, Victor Ikpeazu to Spain and Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu to Israel.
Others include Mahmoud Yakubu to Qatar, Paul Oga Adikwu to the Vatican City, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to the Philippines, Reno Omokri to Mexico and Abasi Braimah to Hungary.
The list also features Erelu Angela Adebayo to Portugal, Olumilua Oluwayimika Ayotunwa to Japan, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to Greece, Chioma Priscilla Ohakim to Poland and Aminu Dalhatu to the United Kingdom.
Former Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau will serve in China, while Olufemi Pedro was assigned to Australia and Muhammed Ubandoma Aliyu to Argentina. Lateef Kayode Are is posted to the United States, and Joseph Sola Iji to Russia.
Other notable nominations include Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Femi Fani-Kayode to Germany, Isaak Folorunso Adewole to Canada, Fatima Florence Ajimobi to Austria, Lola Akande to Sweden and Ayodele Oke to France.
The postings also cover Yakubu N. Gambo to Saudi Arabia, Nora Ladi Daduut to South Korea, Onueze Chukwujika Joe Okocha to Ireland, Kulu Haruna Abubakar to Tunisia and Jerry Samuel Manwe to Trinidad and Tobago.
For the career diplomats, Ambassador Nwabiola Ezenwa Chukwumeka is assigned to Côte d’Ivoire, Besto Maimuna Ibrahim to the Niger Republic, Monica Okwuchukwu Enebechi to São Tomé and Príncipe and Mohammed Mahmud Lele to Algeria.
Other postings include Endoni Syndoph Paebi to Burkina Faso, Ahmed Mohammed Monguno to Egypt, Jane Adams Michael to Jamaica and Alexandra Clark-Omeru to Zambia.
Further assignments include Chima Geoffrey Lioma David to Mali, Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah to Equatorial Guinea, Segun Ige to Lebanon, Ruben Abimbola Samuel to Italy and Ogechukwu Kingsley Onaga to Mozambique.
The diplomatic list also features Umar Magaji to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Muhammad Saidu Dahiru to India, Abdussalam Habu Zayyad to Senegal and Shehu Ilu Barde to Ghana.
The presidency stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and from France for Ambassador Ayodele Oke.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for the High Commissioner-designate, Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu. Similarly, France has sent the agrément for Ambassador Ayo Oke,” the statement said.
It added that the ministry has forwarded the names of the remaining envoys to their respective host countries and requested the required diplomatic consent.
“The Ministry has also conveyed the nominations of the other 62 designated envoys to all the countries concerned, including a request for their agréments in line with standard diplomatic practice.”
Onanuga stated that the president has directed the foreign affairs ministry to begin preparations for the envoys’ formal orientation.
“President Tinubu has directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately commence the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners.”
