The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently appoint ambassadors to key countries and establish a national framework for international lobbying, warning that the prolonged delay in such appointments is weakening Nigeria’s diplomatic and foreign relations.
The Council made the call in a communiqué issued after an emergency national meeting in Abuja.
The meeting, which drew more than 300 associations from across the country, had equal representation of Christian, Muslim and traditional religious leaders.
According to the document signed by the Chairman, Communiqué Drafting Committee, Mazi Oscar Kalu, and others, the meeting was convened to address growing international tension and media reports alleging a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, as well as increasing criticism of the Federal Government’s failure to appoint ambassadors almost two years after recalling the previous envoys.
The Council observed that there is no authentic and accessible national database containing verified statistics on victims of terrorist and bandit attacks, categorised by gender, age and religion. This, it said, has resulted in unverifiable claims and widespread speculation, which have fuelled misleading narratives within and outside the country.
It described as erroneous the impression being circulated in international circles that terrorists and bandits are targeting Christians and Christian communities, noting that available evidence shows that Muslims and Islamic communities are equally, and in some cases more, affected by such attacks.
The Council accused some political actors of deliberately politicising insecurity to overheat the polity and gain undue advantage.
The communiqué expressed concern over Nigeria’s diplomatic vacuum, lamenting that nearly two years into President Tinubu’s administration, the country has no appointed ambassadors to even strategic nations such as the United States of America.
It stated that this situation has resulted in poor diplomatic relations, weakened foreign policy management, and left Nigeria vulnerable to manipulations by world powers.
The group warned that the absence of ambassadors has hindered communication and lobbying efforts between Nigeria and other countries, particularly the United States, thereby worsening current diplomatic tensions. It cited the recent international outcry over alleged religious persecution and threats of sanctions as examples of challenges that could have been better managed through active diplomatic engagement.
The Council also lamented the absence of a deliberate framework for international lobbying since the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, noting that effective lobbying is essential in promoting Nigeria’s interests and image among nations and multinational organisations.
It emphasised that ambassadors play a vital role in representing Nigeria’s interests abroad, promoting trade and investment, and fostering mutual understanding between nations. The absence of such representatives, it said, has left a significant gap in Nigeria’s global influence, hampered its ability to attract investment, and left citizens abroad more vulnerable in times of crisis.
The Council recommended that the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, immediately commence the documentation and harmonisation of verified data on terrorist and bandit attacks to aid accurate reporting and reduce misinformation. It also urged the government to convene an inter-religious dialogue to address the issue of alleged Christian genocide and calm rising tensions.
Equally, the Council demanded that President Tinubu submit a list of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation before the end of November 2025, stressing that the continued delay was unjustifiable and detrimental to Nigeria’s interests. It also called for the development of a national framework for strategic international lobbying, to be handled by competent diplomats and experienced professionals.
“The Foreign Relations and Policies of a country are crucial to its national development. Therefore, the Nigerian Government must not take the current situation of accusation of Christian genocide for granted. The assertions from the international community, especially America, must be handled professionally, with the highest level of diplomacy and caution, by confronting the matter with verifiable facts and figures.
“In addition, running a nation for over two years without ambassadors to nations is both unthinkable and highly detrimental to any government. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must know that no reason is good enough or can well justify the inability of his administration to appoint ambassadors after two years in government,” the communiqué read.
