Fani-Kayode, 2 Other Names Mentioned as Nigeria’s New Ambassadors as Tinubu Prepares to Unveil List
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government is reportedly set to appoint ambassadors after 18 months
- President Tinubu had recalled ambassadors from more than 100 diplomatic missions in September 2023 few months after assuming office in May 2023
- Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the appointments are expected to be made "very soon" as the issue of funding is addressed
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance.
FCT, Abuja - The federal government of Nigeria is vetting potential candidates to fill diplomatic roles in its 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 global consulates.
Legit.ng recalls that in September 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recalled all Nigerian ambassadors representing the country across the world just barely three months after his inauguration.
Source: Facebook
Nigeria has operated without ambassadors since then, leaving room for new appointments.
As reported by The Punch newspaper on Sunday, April 6, 2025, "impeccable sources" familiar with the developments revealed that Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister, and erstwhile deputy-governor of Lagos state, Femi Pedro; are among the nominees. It was also gathered that nominees are being asked to report to the DSS offices nearest to them.
Furthermore, it was understood that several candidates had been contacted to provide personal education and work history.
One official said:
“They (Nigerian authorities) are already doing security checks with Department of State Services (DSS). When they have cleared security checks, we will release the list.
“Only those who have been cleared are announced. The process is ongoing. I know that we should have a list before the end of this month (April)."
A second source said:
“The vetting is not done centrally. It is based on the location of the nominees. nominees have been reached to provide personal history and information such as where they attended school, what appointments they have held, and the like. So, it is by location.
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“I understand that some of them don’t have serviceable vehicles. The last vehicles they bought were from 10 years ago. Some of them are broken down, and ambassadors cannot use such vehicles because they carry the image of the country. Some of them don’t even have power and running water. So, if you post ambassadors there today, you’re sending them to trouble.”
Corroborating the other sources, another person said:
“FFK (Femi Fani-Kayode) is on the list. These are some of the controversial names that have been put forward as well. Then there is Fola Adeola (founder of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc) and Femi Pedro too. They’re moving on with the process more quickly this time."
Source: Facebook
Names of prospective ambassadors mentioned:
- Femi Fani-Kayode
- Fola Adeola
- Femi Pedro
Tinubu govt dismisses fake list of ambassadorial nominees
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the ministry of foreign affairs clarified that Tinubu has not made any ambassadorial appointments.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, urged the public to disregard a fake list of ambassadorial nominees circulating on social media.
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Source: Legit.ng
