By Obinna Uballa
The Federal Government has received approvals from some countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, for Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, marking a significant step towards filling long-vacant diplomatic positions.
The confirmation was made by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who revealed that Nigeria has so far secured agrément from ten countries.
Agrément is the formal consent granted by a host nation to accept a diplomat nominated by another country and is a prerequisite for an ambassador to officially assume duty.
Other countries that have granted approval include Ireland, Qatar, the Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Ebienfa added that responses from additional nations are still awaited.
“The date for the induction ceremony will be announced in due course once it is finalised and confirmed by the Presidency,” he said on Monday, noting that the process of securing agrément remains ongoing.
The development comes after a prolonged period during which Nigeria operated without substantive ambassadors in several foreign missions under President Bola Tinubu. Since assuming office in May 2023, many key diplomatic posts remained vacant, with chargés d’affaires managing most missions.
This vacuum had drawn criticism from stakeholders, who warned that the absence of ambassadors could weaken Nigeria’s diplomatic influence and bilateral engagements, particularly in strategic countries.
To address the gap, the Presidency submitted a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the National Assembly in late 2025. Although the nominees were screened in December, their official deployment depends on receiving agrément from host nations.
Meanwhile, some countries, including India, have reportedly declined certain nominees, citing diplomatic policies that discourage appointing envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
The New Diplomat had previously reported that the decision by the Presidency to announce postings for the ambassadorial nominees before securing agrément from receiving countries was in breach of standard diplomatic procedure.
With approvals now coming from key global partners, Nigeria moves closer to strengthening its foreign missions and enhancing its international engagements, a development that is expected to bolster the country’s diplomatic presence on the global stage.
