The Nigerian Senate has confirmed a slate of 64 ambassadors and high commissioners, including several prominent former ministers, ex-governors, and senior political figures.
The confirmation on Thursday marks a significant step in President Bola Tinubu’s realignment of the nation’s foreign service.
The list, which had been under consideration for weeks, is divided into 34 career diplomats and 30 non-career appointees. Among the high-profile non-career nominees cleared are former Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd); former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu; former Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; former Presidential Liaison to the Senate, Senator Ita Enang; and Senator Grace Bent.
These confirmations follow the earlier approval of three nominees: Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Ayodele Oke (Oyo State). The full cohort of 64 nominees is now set to be deployed to various Nigerian missions abroad, pending their formal posting by the Presidency.
The Senate’s approval concludes a thorough screening process that examined the credentials and suitability of each candidate for overseas representation.
