Tinubu sends 32 Ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, selecting former ministers, governors and top officials as Nigeria prepares an diplomatic re-set.
President Bola Tinubu has on Saturday November 29, 2025, unveiled a sweeping list of 32 new ambassadorial nominees, a move that signals one of the most significant diplomatic shake-ups of his administration. The list, sent to the Senate for confirmation, includes a blend of former ministers, ex-governors, senior political figures and seasoned civil servants.
The nominations are divided into 17 non-career ambassadors and 15 career diplomats. According to the Presidency, 10 women are included across both categories, reflecting an effort to broaden representation within Nigeria’s foreign service.
High-profile names feature prominently on the non-career list. Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, former presidential adviser Reno Omokri, former INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, and former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi are among those selected. Also nominated are former Ekiti First Lady Erelu Angela Adebayo, former Oyo First Lady Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Lagos Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
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Several nominees come from political backgrounds, including Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, and Yakubu N. Gambo, a former Plateau State commissioner. The Presidency also confirmed the inclusion of business figures, academics, and former lawmakers, among them Senator Grace Bent and Professor Nora Ladi Daduut.
The career ambassadorial list features diplomats and senior civil servants from states across Nigeria, including Abia, Taraba, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Niger, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, Kwara and Osun. Many of these nominees have previously served in foreign missions or held top positions within the civil service.
A statement from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga noted that the envoys will be posted to countries considered strategic to Nigeria’s political and economic interests. Expected destinations include China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya. Others will represent Nigeria at multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
The new list follows an earlier batch of three nominees designated for the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Their appointments marked the first stage in what government officials described as a phased overhaul of Nigeria’s foreign representation.
All nominees will formally receive their postings once the Senate completes its confirmation process. According to the Presidency, additional names will be announced in the coming weeks as Nigeria continues restructuring its diplomatic corps.