• Are presents Letter of Credence to Trump, resumes duty as Nigeria’s Ambassador to U.S.
• U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Lagos close for Memorial Day holiday
 
The National Leadership of Accredited Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), under the coordination of CSCHEI, has commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Ambassador Kayode Are as Nigeria’s envoy to the United States (U.S.), describing the move as a strategic step towards strengthening bilateral relations between both countries.
  
CSCHEI stands for the Civil Society Organisation on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, a United Nations (UN)-recognised platform that promotes accredited CSOs and CBOs in Nigeria.
  
Meanwhile, Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., Kayode Are, has presented his Letter of Credence to U.S. President Donald Trump at a ceremony on Thursday, May 21, at the White House.
  
Also, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced that the U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed today in observance of Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the U.S.
  
The CSOs and CBOs said the appointment of a diplomat with extensive experience in security, intelligence and international relations would further deepen cooperation between Nigeria and the U.S.
  
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Kunle Yusuff, the organisation noted that Nigeria’s longstanding partnership with the U.S. “has continued to deliver benefits across key sectors”, including education, healthcare, security, oil and gas, industry and aviation.
  
The group also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Government for accepting Are and facilitating the commencement of his diplomatic assignment in Washington.
  
According to the statement, CSCHEI’s development partner, Africa United Congress USA, affirmed that Are’s professional record, diplomatic experience and reputation for integrity position him to effectively advance Nigeria’s interests in the U.S.

The organisation further stated that the envoy’s official resumption and reception by Trump signalled renewed prospects for development-driven diplomacy and stronger institutional collaboration between both countries.
  
It added that the development was expected to create fresh opportunities for partnerships involving U.S.-based international NGOs, development agencies and accredited CSOs and CBOs in Nigeria.
  
“The global community witnessed the official presentation at the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday, May 21. Capacity and performance in diplomacy are evident, and accredited civil society and community-based organisations in Nigeria are proud of Ambassador Kayode Are’s representation of the country,” the statement reads.

THERE was also an honour guard by the armed forces and officers of the State Department and the staff of the National Security Council during the presentation of the letter.
  
Eleven other ambassadors presented their letters to the U.S. President. They include ambassadors of South Africa, Chad, Chile, Yemen, Australia and Kyrgyzstan.
  
President Bola Tinubu had, in January 2026, approved the posting of Are after his nomination was confirmed by the Senate last December.
   
Born in 1955, Are is a retired Nigerian Army Colonel, intelligence officer, and former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), now Department of State Services (DSS).
  
Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most experienced security operatives, he built a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in military intelligence and national security administration.
  
He began his military journey at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he was a member of Regular Combatant Course 12. He graduated among the top 10 cadets and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in December 1974.
  
Academically, he distinguished himself early in life. In 1980, he earned a First Class Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan, graduating as the institution’s best student and winning the university’s Senate Prize, Faculty of Social Sciences Prize, and Department of Psychology Prize.
  
He later obtained a Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 1987.
  
On the memorial, the U.S mission in Nigeria posted on its official X handle: ““The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day – a U.S. federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May in honour of U.S. military personnel who lost their lives in service of their country.”
  
Memorial Day is a solemn United States federal holiday; it is usually a time for visiting cemeteries and memorials to mourn the military personnel who died in the line of duty. 
 
Volunteers will place American flags on the graves of those military personnel in national cemeteries.