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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the posting of Nigeria’s ambassadors to foreign missions, assigning former presidential aide Reno Omokri to Mexico and former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode to Germany as part of a broad diplomatic deployment.
The postings, announced on Friday, involve 65 ambassadors who will represent Nigeria in various countries and multilateral organisations around the world.
The list includes both career diplomats and non-career political appointees whose nominations had earlier been confirmed by the Senate. Officials said the deployment is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic presence and advancing the country’s foreign policy objectives.
Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and a prominent political commentator, will serve as Nigeria’s ambassador to Mexico. Fani-Kayode, who was Minister of Aviation during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has been posted to Germany.
Other prominent figures named in the postings include former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who will serve as Nigeria’s ambassador to Canada, while former Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), was assigned to China.
Businessman and politician Jimoh Ibrahim was appointed Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Lateef Kayode Are, was posted to the United States.
The Presidency said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun the necessary diplomatic processes with host countries, including the request for agrément, the formal approval required before ambassadors can assume duties in their designated countries.
According to officials, some host nations have already granted preliminary approvals for the envoys, while others are expected to conclude the process in the coming weeks.
The ambassadors-designate are also expected to undergo an induction programme organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before departing for their respective missions.
The new postings are expected to fill several diplomatic vacancies that have persisted in Nigeria’s foreign missions and to strengthen the country’s representation across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The Tinubu administration has repeatedly emphasised the role of economic diplomacy in attracting foreign investment, expanding trade opportunities and strengthening Nigeria’s global partnerships. The newly posted ambassadors are expected to play a key role in advancing those objectives once they assume office in their respective countries.