President Bola Tinubu is poised to finalise the appointment of envoys to Nigeria’s foreign missions worldwide after months of diplomatic vacancies and mounting concern over the country’s lack of official representatives abroad, The PUNCH has ascertained.
Multiple senior staff familiar with the development told our correspondent that the President had ordered a “final review” of the list of candidates ahead of its publication.
The informants spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly.
“It is going to be completed very soon,” one senior official stated. The official explained, “They are just freshening it up now because since the time the President sent it to the Senate, some people on that list have passed away, and some have retired and are no longer eligible for the post. Some of them have less than one year left in public service.”
He added that the Senate had already vetted the nominees, noting that the revision was to ensure that no one due for retirement remained on the list.
“The list of those screened has left the Senate long ago; it has been returned to the President,” the source said. Another source affirmed that security and background clearances were concluded months ago. However, a re-evaluation became essential after several nominees died, took new appointments, or withdrew due to ill health.
“The earlier list sent to the Senate is no longer current. Some of the nominees have died, while others are no longer qualified,” the official said.
“The update will ensure that the final list comprises those still available and eligible. The process can be finished in a week; it doesn’t take long to re-confirm new names.”
🛡️ Tension and Diplomatic Gaps
The development comes more than two years after Tinubu’s September 2023 directive to call back all ambassadors from Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions — encompassing 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates — as part of a “comprehensive diplomatic assessment.”
Since then, most missions have been managed by interim representatives (chargés d’affaires) or senior consular officers with restricted authority to speak for Nigeria in formal negotiations.
“The reality is that most foreign governments do not give the same deference to interim representatives as they do to full ambassadors,” a senior Foreign Service source said. “At a time like this, with many diplomatic requirements, it is vital that ambassadors be designated.”
The drive to wrap up the ambassadorial appointments comes amid recent diplomatic strain following comments by President Donald Trump, who suggested military intervention in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.
Trump, in a post on his social media platform on Friday, announced that he was designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern.”
He later claimed to have instructed congressional Republicans to investigate the matter and report back to him.
On Saturday, Trump said he had directed the U.S. Department of War to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria over the alleged killings. He wrote, “If the Nigerian Government persists in permitting the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately cease all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well enter that disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to wipe out the Islamic terrorists perpetrating these atrocities.”
Another Presidency official contended that the crisis was not directly due to the absence of Nigerian ambassadors.
“That’s not to say the lack of ambassadors triggered the recent issues with the United States, but their presence could have facilitated smoother communication,” the official noted. The official added that foreign partners prefer to engage at the ambassadorial level, “especially in periods of crisis or negotiation.”
📅 Finalizing the List
Sources close to the President also disclosed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, is scheduled to meet with Tinubu today (Tuesday) afternoon at the State House.
Although The PUNCH could not immediately verify the agenda, one official indicated that it could pertain to finalising the ambassadorial list.
“When the President is prepared to make that appointment, it will be publicised. The Presidency will release an official statement very soon,” another official said. In April 2025, The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government had completed vetting and security clearances. However, the appointments stalled due to lack of funds.
Officials said over $1bn was needed to settle debts of foreign service officers, replace aging diplomatic vehicles, renovate embassies, and cover operating expenses.
Tinubu had earlier acknowledged the complexity of balancing political and professional interests in the appointments.
“It’s not easy assembling those names,” Tinubu told members of The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, who visited him at the State House on September 2, 2025.
“I couldn’t appoint everybody right away. I still have some vacancies for ambassadorial positions that so many people are seeking,” he said.
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