Nearly two years after recalling all Nigerian ambassadors in September 2023, President Bola Tinubu’s envoy list is reportedly set to be unveiled soon as ambassadorial nominees.
The names allegedly emerging on Tinubu’s envoy list include former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; ex-Senator Shehu Sani; former presidential aide and controversial figure Reno Omokri; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, among others.
These individuals are reportedly set to feature on the list of nominees as the Nigerian government prepares to fill the vacant posts in its 109 foreign missions, including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates around the world.
Recall that Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors in September 2023, framing the decision as part of his administration’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s foreign service with “world-class efficiency and quality.”
However, the absence of replacements for nearly two years has left Nigeria without full diplomatic representation abroad, relying solely on chargés d’affaires to manage its missions.
Ahead of the unveiling of Tinubu’s envoy list, the prolonged absence of ambassadors has raised questions about Nigeria’s diplomatic priorities.
Many diplomats have explained that ambassadors play critical roles in fostering trade, protecting citizens abroad, and advancing foreign policy, raising alarm that their absence is affecting Nigeria in facing complex global challenges, particularly in the wake of the 14% tariff imposed on Nigerian exports to the United States by President Donald Trump.
Amid the concerns, the presidency, had in March 2025, hinted that replacements would be announced “very soon.”
Reports have now emerged suggesting that concrete steps appear to be underway.
Sources close to the presidency indicate that the nominees, including Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi, Shehu Sani, and Omokri, are currently undergoing rigorous security screening by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The final list, once cleared by the DSS and approved by the National Assembly, will mark the end of a nearly two-year hiatus in Nigeria’s diplomatic leadership.
