Many of President Bola Tinubu’s recently nominated ambassadors face the risk of rejection by host countries due to the short remaining duration of his first term.
High-ranking officials in the Presidency and foreign service disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is struggling to secure agrément the formal consent of receiving states for the nominees.
Several countries reportedly insist on a minimum tenure of one to two years tied to the life of the sending administration. With the next presidential election scheduled for February 2027 and Tinubu’s first term ending in May 2027, host nations may be reluctant to accept envoys who would serve only a few months.
A senior foreign service official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, said:
“The problem we have, which we are trying at the moment to see what we can do about, is that most countries, like India, will tell you that if an ambassador has less than one year or two, they may have issues. Usually, one year counts to the end of any current administration.
“So, that is where there might be a challenge. By the time they get the agrément, some of these ambassadors will have just a few months left. We are trying to see how we can deal with that.”
Under Article 4 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, receiving states must grant consent before an ambassador can be accredited, but they are not required to provide reasons for refusal.
Career diplomats typically serve about three years per posting, while political appointees often face greater scrutiny over short tenures.
Mass Recall and Delayed Nominations
In September 2023 barely four months into his administration President Tinubu recalled career and non-career ambassadors from 109 missions (76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates) for a sector wide reassessment, citing the need for “world-class efficiency and quality.”
Only Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the UN in New York and Geneva, and the Ambassador to Niger (due to the political crisis there), were exempted.
The missions operated without substantive heads for over two years until November 2025, when Tinubu forwarded the first batch of three nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
Additional batches followed, bringing the total nominees to at least 67, including 17 non-career and 15 career diplomats in one list.
On January 22, 2026, the President confirmed postings for three nominees: Ayodele Oke (France), Colonel Lateef Are (retd.) (United States), and Amin Dalhatu (United Kingdom).
Other nominees are expected for strategic posts in China, India, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, and multilateral bodies like the UN, UNESCO, and African Union.
Challenges Ahead
Officials warn that the late nominations and prolonged confirmation process could leave confirmed ambassadors struggling to secure acceptance.
Some may not commence tours until August 2026—leaving them with barely nine months before the 2027 election.
A foreign ministry source explained the lengthy process:
“When nominations are made, it is typical for the ministry to request agrément before announcing postings. That way, if an envoy is rejected, it does not become an embarrassment.
“After receiving postings, ambassadors must attend a mandatory retreat, collect personalised post reports, and wait for agrément. Some countries take time for background checks—sometimes six months. They may reject without explanation or demand a replacement.”
A Presidency official confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is handling the process, including tenure concerns.
“As far as I know, everything is now with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The President has given approval to send names to countries. It is when those countries accept that we will release a statement saying which country each person is going to,” the source said.
Announcements are being withheld until agrément is secured to avoid diplomatic embarrassment.
A former ambassador to Singapore, Ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode, described receiving states’ stance as pragmatic:
“The underlying word here is pragmatism. Those receiving states are just being pragmatic if they take that view because the next round of general elections is in a year from now, in February and March.
“Why receive letters of credence from a principal envoy from a President who has just one year and some months remaining for his first term? So, they may dilly-dally in issuing an agrément.”
He criticized the delay in nominations as a mistake:
“The mistake has been made by the current administration already because they shouldn’t have waited two to three years into their term before nomination, screening, and deployment of heads of missions.”
Another former envoy to Algeria, Mohammed Mabdul, noted that friendly nations are unlikely to reject nominees outright due to reciprocity in diplomacy.
“Political appointees are the problem. Once received and accredited, they are usually expected to remain for two to three years. But with the next election in just a year now, there is the possibility that they may start returning to participate in campaigns. So, they may not make any serious impact with their posting,” he said.
Nigeria’s foreign missions have operated without ambassadors since September 2023, raising concerns about diplomatic isolation and reduced influence on the global stage.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar previously attributed delays to funding challenges, currency fluctuations affecting missions, and the President’s focus on economic reforms.
The situation has sparked calls for faster processing and strategic prioritization to ensure Nigeria’s diplomatic representation is not further weakened ahead of the 2027 elections.
Emerging developments within diaspora networks have further escalated the sensitivity surrounding the reported nomination of some Ambassadors. Credible information indicates that Nigerian diaspora groups in France and neighbouring European jurisdictions are already mobilizing coordinated protest actions against the ambassador-designate for France, citing his prior dismissal from the civil service [NIA] over corruption allegations and the forfeiture of funds discovered in his possession. Organizers are said to be preparing sustained demonstrations and formal petitions aimed at pressuring French authorities to reject or recall the envoy should the appointment proceed. There are also indications that French civic actors and transparency advocates are aligning with the protests—raising the prospect of international media amplification. Observers warn that Nigeria, at a time of active global re-engagement and investment courting, can ill afford the diplomatic embarrassment such a controversy could generate on European soil.
