Six Tinubu Ambassador Nominees Await Foreign Approval

According to the ministry, only six of the 69 ambassadors appointed by President Tinubu are yet to receive the required diplomatic clearance known as agrément, which is the official consent granted by a receiving country before an ambassador-designate can begin duties.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development while providing an update on the progress of the ambassadorial appointments. He stated that the remaining nominees were still awaiting approval but did not reveal the countries involved.

“Only six remaining so far. Waiting for Agrèment,” Ebienfa said.

The ministry had earlier announced that 61 out of the 69 appointed ambassadors had received approval from their host countries, paving the way for their deployment to various diplomatic missions.

Diplomatic procedures require ambassadors-designate to secure agrément before their official postings can commence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed confidence that the outstanding approvals would be granted soon, allowing the remaining nominees to proceed with their assignments.

Several of the newly appointed ambassadors have already arrived in their countries of posting and commenced diplomatic engagements.

Among them is Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Qatar, who recently presented his Letters of Credence to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, at the Amiri Diwan in Doha.

Similarly, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mohammed Idris Haidara, presented his credentials to King Willem-Alexander at the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, while Ambassador Ezenwa C. Nwaobiala formally began his mission in Côte d’Ivoire after presenting his Letters of Credence to President Alassane Ouattara at the Presidential Palace in Abidjan.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Austria and the International Organisations in Vienna, Florence Ajimobi, has also officially commenced her diplomatic duties.

Ajimobi, widow of former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, presented her Letters of Credence, also known as Copie d’Usage, to Austria’s Chief of Protocol at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Ambassador Maximilian Hennig.

Following the presentation, Ajimobi expressed appreciation to the Austrian government for the warm reception extended to her and her delegation. She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between both countries, particularly in areas such as trade, investment, education, culture, and multilateral cooperation.

She also expressed anticipation of presenting her Letters of Credence to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen as she begins her diplomatic responsibilities.