President Bola Tinubu has submitted a fresh list of non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
The nominees announced during Thursday’s plenary include the immediate past Sole Administrator of Rivers State and former Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; former presidential aide, Ita Enang; former Imo State First Lady, Chioma Ohakim; and former Minister of Interior and former Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Dambazau.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the President’s letter on the floor of the chamber, in which Tinubu requested expedited consideration to facilitate the filling of vacant diplomatic posts.
Akpabio referred the list to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and directed the committee to screen the nominees and submit its report within one week.
Recall that Tinubu, less than a week ago, submitted 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, expanding on the earlier list of three announced. The list, released in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, comprises 15 career and 17 non-career nominees.
The nominees include former Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Mahmud Yakubu, and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri. Others on the non-career list are former Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode; and former Oyo State First Lady, Florence Ajimobi.
The statement urged the Senate President, Akpabio, to “do quick to consider and confirm them”, noting that nominees are expected to be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains significant bilateral relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa and Kenya. Others will be assigned to Nigeria’s permanent missions to the United Nations, UNESCO and the African Union. Posting details will be released after Senate confirmation.
The list includes ten women—four career and six non-career nominees—and features former governors, former ministers, former commissioners and former senators.
Non-career nominees include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu; Reno Omokri; Mahmood Yakubu; Erelu Angela Adebayo; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Tasiu Musa Maigari; Yakubu N. Gambo; Professor Nora Ladi Daduut; Otunba Femi Pedro; Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu; Fatima Florence Ajimobi; Lola Akande; Grace Bent; Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim; and Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu.
Career ambassadors and high commissioner–designates are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia); Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba); Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa); Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi); Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa); Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi); Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun); Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo); Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo); Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger); Shehu Barde (Katsina); Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno); Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna); Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara); and Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
Ambassadors serve as the President’s representatives abroad and are responsible for overseeing Nigeria’s activities in their host countries. Career ambassadors are trained diplomats with professional experience in the Foreign Service, while non-career ambassadors are appointed for political or strategic reasons, often based on the expertise they bring rather than prior diplomatic training.
President Tinubu at the time indicated that more ambassadorial nominations will follow.
