President Bola Tinubu has approved the deployment of four Nigerian ambassador-designates to major diplomatic posts in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Turkey, marking the first batch of postings from the list earlier confirmed by the Senate.
The approval was announced on Thursday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The postings involve four of the 68 career and non-career ambassadors endorsed by the Senate in December 2025.
According to the statement, Ambassador Emmanuel Ayodele Oke has been designated to serve as Nigeria’s envoy to France, while Colonel Lateef Kayode Are will take up the role of ambassador to the United States.
Both appointments place experienced diplomats in countries considered central to Nigeria’s foreign policy and strategic interests.
President Tinubu also approved the appointment of Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
Dalhatu previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea and is expected to bring his diplomatic experience to bear in strengthening ties between Abuja and London.
In addition, Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, a former governor of Kebbi State, has been named Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Turkey.
His posting comes ahead of President Tinubu’s planned state visit to Turkey next week, underscoring the importance of bilateral relations between both countries.
Onanuga disclosed that the President has formally directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin the diplomatic process of notifying the governments of the four host countries, in line with established international protocols.
The postings followed the Senate’s confirmation of ambassadorial nominees on December 18, 2025, after reviewing a report submitted by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The confirmations covered both career and non-career diplomats nominated by the President earlier in the month.
President Tinubu had initially forwarded 65 names to the Senate on December 4, comprising 34 career diplomats and 31 non-career nominees, including ambassadors and high commissioners.
The list was later expanded following the approval of additional non-career nominees, bringing the total number of confirmed envoys to 68.
Several high-profile political figures feature among the non-career ambassadorial nominees, reflecting the administration’s blend of diplomatic experience and political representation in its foreign missions.
With the approval of these first postings, expectations are rising that more ambassador-designates will soon be deployed to Nigeria’s missions abroad, as the government moves to fully restore diplomatic representation across key global capitals.
