The Senate will begin screening President Bola Tinubu’s 65 ambassadorial nominees next week, marking the start of a major shake-up in Nigeria’s foreign service. The list, recently forwarded to the upper chamber, includes both career diplomats and political nominees who are expected to fill key diplomatic posts left vacant for nearly two years.
Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the nominees would undergo thorough scrutiny to ensure they are “fit for purpose” and able to represent Nigeria effectively abroad. He added that the Senate would not rush the process and intends to assess each nominee’s experience, competence and understanding of global diplomacy.
This development comes amid criticism from some political figures and analysts over the long delay in appointing ambassadors—a delay they argue contributed to weakened diplomatic engagement with partner nations. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had earlier questioned the inclusion of former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu among the nominees, calling it inappropriate.
With the new list now before lawmakers, Nigeria is expected to soon reestablish full diplomatic representation in several countries, boosting international relations, consular services and foreign policy coordination.
