Nigeria’s Senate has confirmed 64 ambassadorial nominees put forward by President Bola Tinubu, completing a major step toward refilling the country’s long vacant diplomatic posts and restoring full representation abroad.
The approvals were granted on Thursday after lawmakers adopted a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which said all nominees were screened and found fit for appointment. The confirmations bring the total number of approved ambassadors to 67 following the clearance of three nominees earlier in the week.
Those confirmed include several well known political figures and former public officials. Among them are former Aviation Minister Femi Fani Kayode, former Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau, former presidential aide Reno Omokri, and former senator Grace Bent.
Others cleared by the Senate include former Independent National Electoral Commission chairman Mahmood Yakubu, former Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu. The full list comprises 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 30 non career nominees.
Presenting the committee’s findings, Senator Sani Bello of Niger North said no petitions were received against any of the nominees and that all met the required standards.
“None of the nominees had petitions against them. They were assessed based on qualifications, experience, and conduct and found suitable,” Bello told the chamber.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio congratulated the confirmed envoys and urged them to project Nigeria’s interests positively in their various postings.
The confirmations came amid public debate following claims on social media that petitions had been submitted against some nominees. Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu rejected those assertions, saying the chamber received no formal complaints.
“I am telling you that we didn’t receive petitions from anybody, organisation, or legal entity,” Adaramodu said in comments to local media. He added that the screening involved detailed engagement and was not a ceremonial exercise.
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President Tinubu sent an expanded list of 65 nominees to the Senate on December 4 as part of efforts to fill diplomatic vacancies that had persisted since all Nigerian envoys were recalled in 2023. The prolonged absence of ambassadors had sparked debate about Nigeria’s global presence and foreign policy reach.
With the confirmation process now concluded, the new ambassadors are expected to be deployed to key capitals and international organisations in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy priorities, officials said.