President Bola Tinubu is set to complete the long-awaited appointment of ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions across the globe, following months of international pressure and concern over the country’s absence of official envoys.
According to multiple officials at the Presidency, the President has directed a “final cleanup” of the list of nominees before its official release.
“It is going to be concluded very soon,” one senior government source confirmed, adding that the President had instructed aides to update the list.
“They are just cleaning it up now because since the time the President sent it to the Senate, some people on that list have died, and some have retired and are no longer eligible for appointment. Some of them have less than one year left in service,” the source explained.
He noted that the Senate had already screened the nominees and returned the list to the Presidency. “The list of those screened has left the Senate long ago; it has been returned to the President,” he said.
Another top official disclosed that although security and background checks had been completed months ago, revisions became necessary following changes in the nominees’ status.
“The earlier list sent to the Senate is outdated. Some of the nominees have died, while others are no longer qualified,” the source revealed. “The cleanup will ensure that the final list reflects those still available and eligible. The process can be completed in a week; it doesn’t take long to reverify new names.”
The update comes more than two years after Tinubu’s September 2023 directive recalling all ambassadors from Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions — including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates — as part of a “comprehensive diplomatic review.”
Since then, most missions have been led by chargés d’affaires or senior consular officers, who have limited authority to represent the country at high-level diplomatic engagements.
“The truth is that most foreign governments do not give the same regard to chargés d’affaires as they do to ambassadors,” a senior Foreign Service officer explained. “At a time like this, with many diplomatic demands, it is crucial that ambassadors be appointed.”
The push to finalize the postings also comes amid growing diplomatic strain following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s inflammatory comments threatening military action in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a post on his social media platform on Friday, Trump declared that Nigeria had been labelled a “Country of Particular Concern.” He further claimed to have instructed congressional Republicans to investigate the matter.
On Saturday, he announced that he had directed the U.S. Department of War to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria, stating: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to wipe out the Islamic terrorists committing these atrocities.”
Responding to the development, a Presidency official clarified that while the absence of ambassadors was not directly responsible for the diplomatic tension, their presence could have facilitated smoother communication between both countries.
“That’s not to say the lack of ambassadors caused the recent issues with the United States, but their presence could have made communication smoother,” the official explained.
He added that foreign governments generally prefer ambassadorial-level discussions, “especially in moments of crisis or negotiation.”
Sources close to the President also revealed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, is scheduled to meet Tinubu at the State House today (Tuesday), possibly to finalize the list of nominees.
“When the President is ready to make that appointment, it will be made public. The Presidency will release an official statement very soon,” another source confirmed.
In April 2025, The PUNCH had reported that all background checks and vetting had been completed but that the appointments stalled due to funding issues. Officials said over $1 billion was required to clear arrears owed to foreign service officers, replace aging diplomatic vehicles, and renovate Nigerian embassies abroad.
Tinubu had earlier acknowledged the difficulty of balancing political considerations with professional qualifications in selecting the ambassadors.
“It’s not easy stitching those names,” Tinubu admitted during a meeting with members of The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, at the State House on September 2, 2025.
“I couldn’t appoint everybody at once. I still have some slots for ambassadorial positions that so many people are craving for,” he added.
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