FG Confirms Agreement from UK, US, Others for Ambassadorial Nominees

FG Confirms Agreement from UK, US, Others for Ambassadorial Nominees

The Federal Government has confirmed that several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and France, have granted approval for Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, signalling progress in efforts to fill diplomatic vacancies in foreign missions.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this on Monday, explaining that the process of obtaining agrément; the formal consent of host countries before ambassadors can assume duty is ongoing.

According to him, approvals have already been secured from a number of countries.

“I wish to inform you that the process of receiving agréments from the countries the ambassadors-designate are posted to is ongoing. We have received agreements from the United Kingdom, France, United States, Ireland, Qatar, Benin, Ethiopia/Djibouti, Senegal and Sierra Leone, among others,” he said.

Ebienfa added that the date for the formal induction ceremony for the envoys would be announced once it is finalised and approved by the Presidency.

Nigeria has operated without substantive ambassadors in many of its foreign missions since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. During the period, several diplomatic posts were managed by chargés d’affaires pending the appointment of new envoys.

The delay had drawn concerns from diplomats and policy analysts, who warned that prolonged vacancies in strategic missions could weaken Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement and influence with key international partners.

In a move to address the gap, the Presidency eventually submitted a list of ambassadorial nominees to the National Assembly toward the end of 2025. The nominees were screened by the Senate in December the same year, paving the way for their eventual deployment.

However, the process requires host nations to formally grant agrément before the nominees can be posted to their respective countries.

The latest confirmation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests that the process is gradually advancing, with several key partners already signalling their approval.

With more responses expected from other host nations, attention is now focused on the Presidency to conclude the remaining procedures and dispatch the ambassadors to their designated missions.