President Bola Tinubu is set to conclude the long-awaited appointment of new ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions across the world, DAILY GAZETTE gathered.
Multiple Presidency sources confirmed that the President ordered a “final cleanup” of the list of nominees ahead of its official release, after months of delay and growing diplomatic pressure over Nigeria’s lack of envoys abroad.
“It will be concluded very soon,” one senior official told DAILY GAZETTE
“They are simply updating the list because some nominees have died, retired, or are no longer eligible for appointment.”
According to another source, the Senate had already screened the initial nominees, but the list required revision to remove those close to retirement and replace those who had passed away or withdrawn due to ill health.
“The earlier list sent to the Senate is now outdated,” the source explained.
“Security and background checks were done months ago, but a few names need to be replaced. Once that’s done, the list can be finalised within a week.”
The move comes more than two years after Tinubu’s September 2023 directive recalling all Nigerian ambassadors from the country’s 109 foreign missions, comprising 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates, as part of a comprehensive foreign service overhaul.
Since the recall, most missions have been managed by chargés d’affaires or senior consular officers, whose limited authority has weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic presence.
“Foreign governments don’t give the same weight to chargés d’affaires as they do to ambassadors,” a senior Foreign Service official said.
“At a time of rising diplomatic challenges, it’s crucial to have substantive envoys in place.”
The renewed urgency to complete ambassadorial appointments coincides with escalating diplomatic tension following remarks by former U.S President Donald Trump, who threatened military intervention in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump described Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” and claimed to have instructed the U.S. Department of War to “prepare for possible action.”
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians,” Trump wrote, “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.’”
While Presidency officials downplayed a direct link between the ambassadorial delays and the U.S row, one senior aide admitted that having ambassadors in place could have helped ease communication.
“Their absence didn’t cause the tension, but ambassadors facilitate smoother dialogue, especially in moments of crisis,” the aide said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar is expected to meet President Tinubu at the State House on Tuesday to finalise the list.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not publicly disclosed, top officials suggested it would involve reviewing and approving the updated ambassadorial nominees.
“Once the President gives his final approval, the list will be made public,” another source said. “An official statement will follow shortly.”
In April 2025, DAILY GAZETTE reported that the Federal Government had completed all vetting and security clearances but delayed the postings due to funding constraints.
Officials estimated that over $1 billion was required to clear outstanding foreign service arrears, replace aging diplomatic vehicles, renovate embassies, and cover operational costs.
Tinubu had previously acknowledged the challenge of balancing political and professional considerations in the selection process.
“It’s not easy stitching those names,” the President told members of The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, during a visit to the State House on September 2, 2025.
“I couldn’t appoint everybody at once. I still have some ambassadorial slots many are craving for.”
