President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, widening the overhaul of Nigeria’s diplomatic corps just days after submitting an earlier list of three envoys.
In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu requested the “expeditious” confirmation of the new batch, which comprises 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees. The list reflects a major restructuring of Nigeria’s foreign service, with a stronger inclusion of women four female career diplomats and six female non-career nominees.
Non-Career Nominees
The non-career list features several high-profile individuals, including:
• Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu (Abia)
• Reno Omokri (Delta), former presidential aide
• Mahmud Yakubu, former INEC Chairman
• Erelu Angela Adebayo, former Ekiti First Lady
• Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former Enugu State Governor
• Tasiu Musa Maigari, former Katsina House of Assembly Speaker
• Yakubu N. Gambo, former Plateau Commissioner
• Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu (Anambra)
• Professor Nora Ladi Daduut, former Plateau Senator
• Otunba Femi Pedro, former Lagos Deputy Governor
• Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister (Osun)
• Florence Ajimobi, former Oyo First Lady
• Lola Akande, former Lagos Commissioner
• Grace Bent, former Adamawa Senator
• Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, former Abia Governor
• Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo)
• Paul Oga Adikwu, former Vatican ambassador
Career Nominees
The career diplomats nominated are:
Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun), Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).
If confirmed, the nominees will be assigned to key foreign missions across the world, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Mexico, Kenya, the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union. Final postings will be unveiled after Senate approval.
This submission follows last week’s nomination of Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are expected to take up high-profile missions in major countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, or France.
The Presidency also disclosed that more names will be announced as the administration continues its restructuring of Nigeria’s foreign service.
