- Tinubu Set To Announce New Ambassadors
- Another top official added that the list would be published before the end of November
- Tinubu had in September 2023 recalled all envoys from Nigeria’s missions in 76 embassies
President Bola Tinubu is set to appoint ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions in major countries in the coming weeks, according to senior presidency sources.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the move follows rising public concern that the prolonged absence of substantive envoys has weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic presence abroad, especially in key strategic nations such as the United States amid the alleged Christian genocide controversy.
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Tinubu had in September 2023 recalled all envoys from Nigeria’s missions in 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates around the world to allow for a reassessment of the country’s foreign policy direction. However, more than 2 years into the current administration, the appointment of new ambassadors has faced repeated delays.
In the absence of substantive envoys, these missions have been managed by chargé d’affaires and senior consular officers.
In April 2025, sources close to the President confirmed that the Federal Government had concluded the vetting of nominees for ambassadorial roles, including security and background checks by relevant agencies.
Tinubu previously attributed the delay to the complex political considerations involved in the selection process.
He said, “I could not appoint everybody at once… I still have some slots for ambassadorial positions…”, during a September meeting with members of The Buhari Organisation at the Presidential Villa.
Last week, several senior presidency officials revealed that the President had ordered a final cleanup of the envoy list before its release. One of them explained that since the list was earlier transmitted to the Senate, some nominees had died, while others were no longer eligible due to retirement. This prompted the Senate to return the list to the Presidency.
A senior aide familiar with the process said the cleanup was now in its final phase and that only ambassadors to major countries would be announced.
“The final process is almost completed… the announcement will come in the next few weeks,” the source said.
Another top official added that the list would be published before the end of November.
Part of the delay in the appointment process is linked to the shortage of funds. Government estimates indicate that over $1bn is required to settle arrears owed to foreign service officials, clear overhead backlogs, replace ageing vehicles and renovate embassy buildings.
Earlier this year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, also confirmed the funding challenges and warned that deploying envoys without adequate resources would be counterproductive.
To mitigate the funding deficit, the Federal Government allocated ₦2.1bn in the 2025 budget for posting and return entitlements of ambassadors and foreign service officers. Another ₦53bn was proposed for the renovation of 103 foreign missions, including chanceries, staff quarters, ambassadors’ residences, office furnishings and official vehicles.
The proposed allocations included:₦554m for Abidjan, ₦812m for Banjul, ₦555m for Brazzaville, ₦558m for Port of Spain, ₦576m for Caracas, ₦624m for Kingston, ₦567m for Libreville, ₦409m for Buenos Aires, ₦899m for Niamey
A letter dated July 3, 2025, from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation showed that the Tinubu administration released $54m to support the operations of 103 embassies and high commissions.
According to the document: $46.14m was allocated for overheads, $9.58m for personnel costs, $282,829 for other expenses
With the year coming to a close and no substantive ambassadors appointed, public concern continues to grow over the fate of the budgeted allocations for missions still operating without confirmed envoys.
In October, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Missions to provide detailed records on how funds appropriated to the missions in 2025 were utilised.
The committee, chaired by Oluwole Oke, invoked Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution to demand accountability from the missions.
Earlier in the year, the same committee began investigating an alleged contract scandal involving the mismanagement of $2m earmarked for renovating the residence of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
