President Bola Tinubu on Friday forwarded to the Senate a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees, combining career diplomats and high-profile political appointees, as part of a major overhaul of Nigeria’s foreign service.
Among the non-career nominees are former electoral commission chairman Mahmud Yakubu, ex-aviation minister Femi Fani‑Kayode, public affairs commentator Reno Omokri and former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The list also includes several former ministers, state commissioners and past lawmakers from various regions.
In a statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the submission comprises 15 career ambassadors and 17 non-career appointees, with female representation among both categories.
The nominees are slated for deployment to key bilateral posts in strategic countries — including China, India, South Korea, Canada, UAE, Qatar, South Africa and Kenya — as well as to multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union. Final postings will be confirmed after Senate approval.
The appointments come just days after Tinubu submitted an initial tranche of three ambassadorial nominees — highlighting the administration’s push to rebuild Nigeria’s diplomatic presence after a sweeping recall of envoys in 2023.
