President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has submitted the names of three ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and approval. The first set of nominees his administration has selected to head Nigeria’s foreign missions.
The nominees are Ambassadors Ayodele Oke and Amin Mohammed Dalhatu, as well as former Director-General of the State Services, Lateef Kayode Are.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the development during Wednesday’s plenary, noting that “the list contains three names for now,” hinting that more nominations may follow.
According to a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the nominees are being considered to represent Nigeria in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
Dalhatu, appointed in 2016, previously completed a tenure that strengthened diplomatic ties between Nigeria and South Korea.
Ambassador Oke, an Emory University alumnus, formerly headed the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He also served at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and is respected for his deep experience in diplomacy and intelligence. A technical panel once ranked him the top candidate for a ministerial role during the Buhari administration, citing his strong credentials in international relations. However, his name was reportedly removed after political interference from a former Oyo State governor.
Col. Are brings a long record of service in national security, having led the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007 and later serving briefly as National Security Adviser in 2010. A former officer with the Directorate of Military Intelligence, he graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.
Since President Tinubu recalled both career and non-career diplomats in 2023, Nigeria has been operating without officially designated ambassadors, leaving more than 100 foreign missions without formal leadership.
The prolonged delay in reappointing envoys has drawn criticism, given Nigeria’s extensive diplomatic presence worldwide and the need for consistent representation abroad.
Analysts say the new nominations may signal a renewed focus on foreign policy and the gradual reactivation of diplomatic posts that have remained vacant since the recall.
As the Senate reviews the nominees, attention will focus on how quickly Are, Dalhatu, and Oke are confirmed — and whether this move signals a wider overhaul of Nigeria’s diplomatic corps after over 18 months of inactivity.
