President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of 65 ambassadors to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions across the world and to the United Nations, with a mix of career and non career envoys expected to represent the country abroad.
According to a State House press release issued on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the postings involve 31 career ambassadors and 34 non career ambassadors.
The Senate had earlier confirmed the ambassadors designate in December last year.
Among the prominent Nigerians assigned diplomatic roles are Reno Omokri, who was posted to Mexico City, Mexico, and Jimoh Ibrahim, who will serve as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, was posted to Germany, while former Minister of Health, Isaac Folorunso Adewole, will head Nigeria’s mission in Ottawa, Canada.
Others on the list include Grace Bent (Lome, Togo); Ita Enang (South Africa); Victor Ikpeazu (Spain); Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Tel Aviv, Israel); Mahmud Yakubu (Qatar); Paul Oga Adikwu (The Vatican City, Holy See); Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Philippines); Abasi Braimah (Budapest, Hungary); Angela Adebayo (Portugal); Olumilua Oluwayimika Ayotunwa (Tokyo, Japan); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Athens, Greece); Chioma Priscilla Ohakim (Warsaw, Poland); and Aminu Dalhatu (United Kingdom).
Also appointed are Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Beijing, China); Tasiu Musa Maigari (Gambia); Olufemi Pedro (Australia); Muhammed Ubandoma Aliyu (Argentina); Lateef Kayode Are (United States of America); Joseph Sola Iji (Russia); Fatima Florence Ajimobi (Austria); Lola Akande (Sweden); Ayodele Oke (France); Yakubu N. Gambo (Saudi Arabia); Nora Ladi Daduut (Seoul, South Korea); Onueze Chukwujika Joe Okocha (Dublin); Kulu Haruna Abubakar (Tunis, Tunisia); and Jerry Samuel Manwe (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago).
The list of career ambassadors approved for various missions includes Nwabiola Ezenwa Chukwumeka (Cote d’Ivoire); Besto Maimuna Ibrahim (Niamey, Niger); Monica Okwuchukwu Enebichi (Sao Tome and Principe); Mohammed Mahmud Lele (Algiers, Algeria); Endoni Syndoph Paebi (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso); Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Cairo, Egypt); Jane Adams Michael (Kingston, Jamaica); Alexandra Clark-Omeru (Lusaka, Zambia); Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Bamako, Mali); and Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Malabo, Equatorial Guinea).
Other career envoys include Segun Ige (Beirut, Lebanon); Ruben Abimbola Samuel (Rome, Italy); Ogechukwu Kingsley Onaga (Maputo, Mozambique); Magaji Umar (Kinshasa, DR Congo); Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (New Delhi, India); Abdussalam Habu Zayyad (Dakar, Senegal); Shehu Ilu Barde (Accra, Ghana); Aminu Nasir (Ethiopia); Abubakar Musa Musa (N’Djamena, Chad); and Haidara Mohammed Idris (The Hague, Netherlands).
The rest are Bako Adamu Umar (Rabat, Morocco); Sulu Gambari Olatunji Ahmed (Malaysia); Romata Mohammed Omobolanle (Tanzania); Shaga John Shamah (Botswana); Hamza Mohammed Salau (Tehran, Iran); Ibrahim Danlami (Kenya); Adeola Mopelola Ibrahim (Cotonou, Benin); Adebayo Emmanuel Ayeni (Brussels, Belgium); Wahab Adekola Akande (Berne, Switzerland); Esther Arewa (Windhoek, Namibia); Gergadi Joseph John (Libreville, Gabon); Luther Ogbomode Ayo-Kalata (Sierra Leone); Danladi Yakubu Nyaku (Khartoum, Sudan); and Bello Dogon-Daji Haliru (Bangkok, Thailand).
The presidency disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the governments of the United Kingdom and France for the country’s envoys. The United Kingdom approved the agrément for Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu, while France cleared Ambassador Ayodele Oke.
The statement added that the nominations of the other envoys have been forwarded to the respective host countries with requests for agrément in line with diplomatic practice.
Tinubu also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately commence an induction programme for the ambassadors designate and high commissioners before their departure to their various missions.
