High-ranking officials in the Presidency and the foreign service disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was grappling with the challenge of securing agrément, the formal consent of receiving states, for the nominees.
According to them, several countries may insist that ambassadors have a minimum tenured period of a year or two tied to the life of the sending country’s administration.
With the next presidential election scheduled for February 2027 and Tinubu’s first tenure set to conclude in May that year, the officials expressed concerns that host countries may be reluctant to accept many of the envoys for now.
A highly-placed foreign service official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said, “The problem we have, which we are trying at the moment to see what we can do about, is that most countries, like India, will tell you that if an ambassador has less than one year or two, they may have issues. Usually, one year counts to the end of any current administration.
“So, that is where there might be a challenge. By the time they get the agrément, some of these ambassadors will have just a few months left. We are trying to see how we can deal with that.”
Career foreign service officers often serve a tour of approximately three years per ambassadorship.
Under Article 4 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, receiving states must grant consent before any ambassador can be accredited.
However, receiving states are not obliged to give reasons to the sending state for a refusal of agrément.
This means countries can reject an ambassador nominee without explanation, including for tenure-related concerns, at the state’s discretion.
In September 2023, barely four months into his administration, President Tinubu concluded a sector-wide reassessment of Nigeria’s foreign policy, which saw career and non-career ambassadors recalled from 109 missions, comprising 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates; leaving the missions without substantive heads for over two years.
The Federal Government cited the need for “world-class efficiency and quality” in foreign service delivery as justification for the mass recall.
Only Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations in New York and Geneva were exempted due to the imminent UN General Assembly at the time.
The Ambassador to the Niger Republic was also exempted due to the unconstitutional change of government in the neighbouring country.
However, it was not until November 2025, more than 26 months later, that President Tinubu forwarded names of ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
The first batch of three nominees, including Ayodele Oke, Amin Dalhatu, and Colonel Lateef Are (retd.), was transmitted to the National Assembly on November 26, 2025.
Days later, on November 29, the President submitted an additional 32 names, comprising 17 non-career diplomats and 15 career officers.
As of the time of this report, the President has nominated at least 67 persons to fill various positions.
On January 22, 2026, the President confirmed the postings of Oke as the ambassador-designate to France, Are as the ambassador-designate to the United States of America, and Dalhatu as the high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.
Other nominees are expected to be deployed in strategic nations, including China, India, the UAE, Qatar, South Africa and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.
However, officials say that with the late announcement and the prolonged confirmation process, confirmed ambassadors may struggle to secure acceptance from their host countries in time. This is due to considerations of the tenure of the administration in the sending country.
Another source explained that the lengthy bureaucratic process might compound the challenge.
“You know, this process is something we would have concluded long ago. But because the announcement was made late last year, they had to go for their screening,” the official said.
The source added that after receiving their postings, ambassadors must attend a mandatory retreat.
They must also collect personalised post reports from the foreign ministry and then wait for agrément from the receiving states.
An official in the foreign service noted that some ambassadors may not commence their tours of duty until August 2026. This would leave them with barely nine months before the next election.
“Some people may not go before August because some countries will take their time to do background checks. When you send the name, sometimes they will respond, ‘Send someone else.’ And when you insist on asking why, they will give you their own report of their background checks.
