President Bola Tinubu has approved the posting of 65 ambassadors to Nigerian diplomatic missions across the world, including 31 career diplomats and 34 non-career appointees.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the envoys had earlier been confirmed by the Senate in December and will now be deployed to various countries and international organisations, including the United Nations.
Among the prominent non-career appointees are former Akwa Ibom senator Grace Bent, posted to Togo; former presidential aide Ita Enang, who will serve in South Africa; and former presidential spokesperson Reno Omokri, posted to Mexico.
Also on the list are former Lagos Deputy Governor Olufemi Pedro, assigned to Australia; former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Ayodele Oke, posted to France; and former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, who will serve as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany.
Former Minister of Health Isaac Folorunso Adewole has been posted to Canada, while former interior minister Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau will head Nigeria’s mission in China.
Others include businessman and former senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who has been appointed Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and security expert Lateef Kayode Are, posted to the United States.
The list also features former Oyo State first daughter Fatima Ajimobi, who will serve in Austria, and former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly Nora Ladi Daduut, posted to South Korea.
In the category of career diplomats, several experienced ambassadors were assigned to strategic missions, including Ambassador Mohammed Mahmud Lele to Algeria, Ambassador Abdussalam Habu Zayyad to Senegal, Ambassador Ibrahim Danlami to Kenya, and Ambassador Ayeni Adebayo Emmanuel to Belgium.
The presidency also disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu as Nigeria’s High Commissioner, while the France has approved Ambassador Ayo Oke as Nigeria’s envoy.
The ministry has equally forwarded the nominations of the remaining envoys to their respective host countries and requested diplomatic approval, known as agrément, in line with international diplomatic practice.
President Tinubu also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately commence induction programmes for the ambassadors and high commissioners ahead of their deployment to their respective missions.