By Obinna Uballa
Fresh complications appear to be tightening around Nigeria’s prolonged ambassadorial vacuum, as several of President Bola Tinubu’s nominees now face the real prospect of being quietly declined by receiving states over concerns about timing, according to a report by Punch newspaper.
According to the report, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria is encountering subtle resistance in its efforts to secure agrément – the mandatory consent from host governments before an ambassador-designate can be allowed to commence the process of resuming or begin accreditation- for a number of the nominees. The hesitation is said to be rooted in the shrinking lifespan of the current administration.
In an earlier report, The New Diplomat detailed the rigorous and often lengthy process involved in ambassadorial postings, noting that it can take several months to conclude. The process begins with a nomination, confirmation by the Parliament of the sending country’s president, which is then formally communicated via a Note Verbal to the proposed receiving country to determine whether the proposed envoy is acceptable or not.
The host country is entitled to conduct its own background checks to assess the nominee’s eligibility or suitability. It may reject a nominee without providing reasons, particularly if concerns arise regarding integrity or fitness for the role. Under Article 4 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, receiving states are under no obligation to provide reasons for refusing agrément, leaving them wide discretion, including for considerations related to tenure and political timing.
In many instances, an ambassador-designate typically waits between four and seven months to secure agrément before being allowed to proceed to the receiving country. Also in many instances, which varies from one country to another, the Ambassador-designate may spend another, six to 11 months before presenting letters of credence and before formally assuming duties. On average, this process could take between 10 and 16 months.
Once agrément is granted through a note verbale, the nomination represents a mutual understanding between the two states, founded on confidence in the envoy’s professionalism, integrity and judgment.
The earlier New Diplomat report also observed that the Presidency’s announcement assigning ambassadors-designate to the United States, France and the United Kingdom amounted to a procedural misstep that could embarrass receiving countries and further complicate matters. ” You don’t announce those being proposed for various countries until you have secured agrément through confidential Note verbals,” added a serving diplomat.
Time has now become the defining obstacle.
The current administration ends on May 29, 2027, barely 15 months away. Should the process begin in earnest today, many nominees may typically find themselves cleared for duty at a time when the tenure of the appointing government is already expiring.
“If we have barely a year to the general elections, and an ambassador-designate may wait up to 12 months depending on the countryn before assuming duties, is there realistically any time left for him or her to function before the Tinubu administration winds down?” a career diplomat told The New Diplomat.
Punch Newspaper, quoting senior officials within the Presidency and the foreign service, reported that some countries are reluctant to accept heads of mission whose tenure may be truncated by an imminent electoral cycle in the sending state. With Nigeria’s next presidential election due in February 2027, and another administration – which may or may not have Tinubu as president – expected to be sworn in three months later on May 27, the diplomatic calendar is now a constraining factor.
According to Punch newspaper, a senior foreign service official described the matter as an internal concern gaining urgency.
“Several countries, including India, take the view that an ambassador should have at least one to two years tied to the life of the current administration. One year is often regarded as the minimum acceptable period.
“By the time agrément is secured, some of these nominees may have only a few months left before the political cycle shifts again. That is the difficulty we are trying to manage,” the official said.
A crisis rooted in delay
It would be recalled that the current predicament has its foundation in September 2023, when Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors from 109 missions – 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates.
That decision left Nigeria’s missions without substantive heads of mission for over two years. Recall that in that massive, wholesome recall, only the Permanent Representatives of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and the Ambassador to Niger Republic, respectively, were exempted.
It was not until November 2025 – 26 months later – that the first list of ambassadorial nominees was sent to the Senate. A second batch followed days later, bringing the total number to at least 67 nominees. Even still, there is still a shortfall of about 40 nominees to fill the remaining missions as Nigeria has over 100 diplomatic posts.
On January 22, 2026, postings were publicly announced for Ayodele Oke to France, Colonel Kayode Are (retd.) to the United States, and Ambassador Amin Dalhatu to the United Kingdom, and
Alhaji Dankagari for Turkey( which was later retracted as the later’s name was never in the list of nominees confirmed by the Senate).
Indeed, the protracted delay has now created a race against diplomatic time.
According to Punch report, beyond Senate confirmation, nominees must attend pre-posting retreats, receive country briefings, submit reports, and then await agrément, a process that can stretch for months.
According to another official quoted by Punch, some envoys may not be ready to assume duty until late 2026.
“Certain countries conduct extensive background checks. They may ask for a replacement or simply delay responding for months. It often takes persistent diplomatic engagement before a response is obtained,” the official said.
A delayed departure could leave many nominees with fewer than nine months before Nigeria enters full election mode.
A Presidency source confirmed that announcements of postings are now being withheld pending receipt of agrément, to avoid the diplomatic embarrassment of publicising assignments that might be declined.
The Punch, quoting a former Charge de Affairs of Nigeria in Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, described the posture of many receiving states as pragmatic rather than unfriendly.
“With a general election barely a year away, no government can be certain the current Nigerian administration will remain beyond 2027. From their perspective, it is about diplomatic continuity.
“They may not reject agrément outright, but they can slow the process considerably,” he said.
He described the delay in initiating the nomination process as a strategic miscalculation.
“Conventionally, agrément is sought quietly before postings are announced. Waiting over two years before starting the process has created avoidable complications,” he added.
