President Bola Tinubu has approved the redeployment of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to South Africa.
The latest development comes amid reports that the former minister’s earlier nomination as envoy to Germany faced diplomatic hurdles.
However, Fani-Kayode dismissed claims that he was rejected by the German authorities, insisting that he personally requested a transfer to South Africa for what he described as personal and ideological reasons.
In a statement shared via his X account on Thursday, the former minister said he formally informed the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, that he was uncomfortable with the Germany posting.
According to him, having spent a significant part of his life in Europe, he preferred to serve in South Africa, a country he said he had long admired and was eager to explore diplomatically.
Fani-Kayode added that he also desired to represent Nigeria in a nation he believed shared similar political and pan-African ideals with him.
He described South Africa as Africa’s largest economy with stronger diplomatic and historical ties to Nigeria.
The former minister further disclosed that he submitted a formal request for redeployment two days after the initial announcement of his posting to Germany.
According to him, Tuggar considered the request favourably before forwarding it to President Tinubu, who subsequently approved the redeployment.
“It gives me pleasure to announce that Mr President has graciously approved my posting as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa,” he stated.
