Abuja: President Bola Tinubu has taken a significant step in foreign diplomacy by increasing the list of ambassador-nominees to 65 and submitting their names to the Senate for confirmation. This move marks a notable expansion in the diplomatic corps as the administration seeks to enhance Nigeria’s global representation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the announcement was made during a Senate plenary session, where Senate President Godswill Akpabio read out the president’s request. The list comprises 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, alongside 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners. This comes shortly after the presidency initially released a list of 32 nominees, which included several prominent figures.
Among the non-career ambassador-nominees are notable individuals such as Sen. Ita Enang from Akwa-Ibom, Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo, Sen. Folasade Bent from Adamawa, and Segun Ige from Edo. The inclusion of these figures underscores the administration’s strategy of leveraging political and diplomatic experience in its foreign service.
Additionally, three nominees-Kayode Are from Ogun, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa, and Ayodele Oke from Oyo-had been previously forwarded to the Senate and have already undergone screening by the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The current batch of nominees has now been sent to the committee for screening, with a one-week deadline set for the process to ensure timely confirmation and deployment.