BREAKING: Tinubu Gives Nod to Diplomatic Appointments of Fani-Kayode, Omokri, Dambazau and 62 Others as Envoys

President Bola Tinubu has given his approval for the assignment of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners to various nations and the United Nations, with notable appointments including Femi Fani-Kayode to Germany and Reno Omokri to Mexico.

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According to a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Thursday, the postings comprise 34 non-career and 31 career ambassadors who will take up their designated roles.

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Among the high-profile non-career appointees, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Katsina State Governor, will be posted to Beijing, China, while Senator Jimoh Ibrahim will serve as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

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Other prominent postings include Senator Ita Enang to South Africa, former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to Spain, former Health Minister Prof. Isaac Adewole to Canada, and Lateef Kayode Are to the United States.

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Senator Grace Bent will serve in Lomé, Togo, while former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been posted to Athens, Greece, and Aminu Dalhatu, a close associate of the President, will serve as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

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Ayodele Oke, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, will serve in France, and Fatima Ajimobi has been posted to Vienna, Austria, while Mrs Lola Akande will serve in Stockholm, Sweden.

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Joe-Kyari Okocha, SAN, will be posted to Dublin, Ireland, and Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas will represent Nigeria in Manila, Philippines, with Paul Adikwu assigned to the Vatican City Holy See.

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Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu will serve in Tel Aviv, Israel, Mahmud Yakubu in Doha, Qatar, and Yakubu Gambo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while Senator Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut has been posted to Seoul, South Korea.

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Dr Kulu Haruna Abubakar will serve in Tunis, Tunisia, and other non-career postings include Engr. Abasi Braimah to Budapest, Hungary, Erelu Angela Adebayo to Lisbon, Portugal, and Oluwayimika Ayotunwa to Tokyo, Japan.

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Chioma Ohakim will serve in Warsaw, Poland, Olufemi Pedro in Canberra, Australia, Mohammed Aliyu in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Joseph Sola Iji in Moscow, Russia, and Jerry Manwe in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

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Among career ambassadors, Ambassador Mohammed Mahmud Lele will serve in Algiers, Algeria, Ambassador Shehu Barde in Accra, Ghana, and Ambassador Aminu Nasir in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Ambassador Ibrahim Danlami has been posted to Nairobi, Kenya, Ambassador Ayeni Adebayo to Brussels, Belgium, and Ambassador Akande Wahab to Berne, Switzerland, while other career postings include Ambassador Nwabiola Ezenwa to Côte d’Ivoire.

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Besto Maimuna Ibrahim will serve in Niamey, Niger, Ahmed Mohammed Monguno in Cairo, Egypt, Ambassador Jane Adams in Kingston, Jamaica, and Ambassador Clark-Omeru Alexandra in Lusaka, Zambia.

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Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru will serve in New Delhi, India, Ambassador Abdussalam Habu Zayyad in Dakar, Senegal, Abubakar Musa in N’Djamena, Chad, and Ambassador Haidara Mohammed Idris in The Hague, Netherlands.

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Ambassador Bako Adamu Umar will serve in Rabat, Morocco, and additional career postings include Ambassador Sulu Gambari to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Ambassador Romata Mohammed to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Ambassador Shaga John to Gaborone, Botswana.

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Hamza Salau will serve in Tehran, Iran, and Ibrahim Adeola Mopelola in Cotonou, Benin, while Ambassador Wasa Segun Ige will serve in Beirut, Lebanon, and Ruben Abimbola Samuel in Rome, Italy.

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Ambassador Onaga Ogechukwu will serve in Maputo, Mozambique, Ambassador Magaji Umar in Kinshasa, DR Congo, and Ambassador Arewa Esther in Windhoek, Namibia, with other postings including Chima Geoffrey David to Bamako, Mali.

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Ambassador Odumah Yvonne will serve in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Monica Okwuchukwu in São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe, Endoni Syndoph in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Ambassador Gergadi Joseph in Libreville, Gabon.

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Ambassador Luther Ayo-Kalata will serve in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Danladi Yakubu in Khartoum, Sudan, and Bello Dogon-Daji in Bangkok, Thailand, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs having received agrément from the United Kingdom for High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu.

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France has sent agrément for Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and the Ministry has conveyed the nominations of the other 62 designated envoys to all the countries concerned, including a request for their agréments in line with standard diplomatic practice.

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Agrément is the formal approval given by a receiving country to accept a diplomat designated by the sending country, and it is a prerequisite before an ambassador can assume duty, with President Tinubu directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately commence an induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and high commissioners.

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The Senate confirmed all 65 ambassadorial nominees in December 2025 following their screening by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, with the postings including a mix of political appointees and professional diplomats from the Foreign Service.

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Nigeria maintains diplomatic missions in over 100 countries worldwide, with embassies, high commissions, and consulates serving as the country’s representatives in bilateral and multilateral engagements, and the last major ambassadorial postings were made in 2017 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

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The ambassadors-designate are expected to assume their duties after completing the induction programme and receiving agrément from their host countries, marking a significant development in Nigeria's diplomatic engagements.