President Bola Tinubu is expected to appoint new ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions in key countries in the coming weeks, according to top presidency sources.
The development comes amid growing public concern that the prolonged absence of substantive envoys has weakened Nigeria’s diplomatic influence abroad, especially in strategic nations such as the United States, where the country has recently faced criticism over an alleged Christian genocide.
Tinubu had in September 2023 recalled all ambassadors from 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates worldwide as part of a reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy direction. However, more than two years into the administration, the process of replacing them has faced repeated delays.
In the interim, Nigeria’s missions have been run by chargés d’affaires and senior consular officers.
In April 2025, sources revealed that the Federal Government had completed the vetting and security screening of nominees for ambassadorial positions. The President later attributed the delay to complex political considerations, saying in September that the process of selecting suitable candidates “is not easy.”
Last week, presidency officials disclosed that Tinubu had ordered a final cleanup of the ambassadorial list ahead of its release. According to one official, several nominees had either passed away or become ineligible by the time the list reached the Senate, prompting lawmakers to return it to the President for revision.
Presidency aides familiar with the development revealed that the cleanup was nearing completion and that appointments would be announced in the next few weeks. Only envoys to major countries are expected to be named in the first batch. Another senior official said the list would be ready before the end of November but declined to give a specific date.
Part of the delay is also linked to funding constraints. It is estimated that more than $1bn is required to clear outstanding arrears, settle operational deficits, replace vehicles and renovate embassy buildings. Earlier this year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, warned that deploying new envoys without adequate resources would be counterproductive.
To tackle the financial shortfall, the Federal Government set aside N2.1bn in the 2025 budget for ambassadorial postings and return entitlements, while proposing N53bn for the renovation of 103 foreign missions. Additional allocations were made to embassies in cities including Abidjan, Banjul, Brazzaville, Caracas, Kingston, Libreville, Buenos Aires and Niamey.
A letter dated July 3, 2025, from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation also confirmed that the administration had released $54m to support embassy operations, with $46.14m going to overheads and $9.58m to personnel costs.
However, with the year nearing its end and no substantive ambassadors in place, concerns are mounting over the utilisation of mission funds. In October, the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs summoned the foreign affairs minister and heads of missions to explain how the 2025 allocations were spent.
The committee, led by Oluwole Oke, also demanded comprehensive financial records and has been investigating an alleged $2m contract scandal linked to the renovation of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative’s residence at the United Nations in New York.
