The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs has begun screening three ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The nominees are Kayode Are from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa State, and Ayodele Oke from Oyo State. Their names were earlier forwarded to the Senate in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.
The committee, chaired by Senator Sani Bello, held a closed-door session with the nominees and said its report would soon be presented to the full Senate for debate and possible confirmation. Senator Bello noted that Ayodele Oke addressed and clarified allegations previously raised against him.
This marks the first batch of ambassadorial nominees sent by President Tinubu, with more than 32 additional names expected in a subsequent list. The move comes after a prolonged leadership vacuum in Nigeria’s foreign missions. In September 2023, President Tinubu recalled all ambassadors as part of an overhaul of Nigeria’s diplomatic service, but replacements were not immediately appointed, leaving missions to be run by chargés d’affaires with limited diplomatic authority.
In April, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, revealed that a list of potential nominees had been awaiting the President’s approval for over a year. He attributed the delay to disruptions caused by major policy changes, including the removal of petrol subsidy and the floatation of the naira. Despite these explanations, critics questioned why an administration focused on boosting foreign investment, strengthening trade partnerships, and enhancing global cooperation would allow such a long delay in appointing substantive heads to key foreign missions.
