The Federal Government has announced that several nations, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, have granted agrément to Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, marking a key step in filling long-vacant diplomatic positions.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, revealed in a statement on Monday that Nigeria has so far obtained approvals from ten countries. Agrément is the official consent from a host country allowing a nominated diplomat to assume duty.
The ministry listed the countries granting approval as the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Ireland, Qatar, the Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Responses from other nations are still awaited, the statement noted.
Ebienfa added that the process of securing agrément remains ongoing and that the date for the induction of the envoys will be announced once finalised and confirmed by the Presidency. “The date for the induction ceremony will be announced in due course once it is finalised and confirmed by the Presidency,” he said.
The move comes after a lengthy period in which Nigeria operated without substantive ambassadors in several key foreign missions under President Bola Tinubu. Since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu delayed ambassadorial appointments, leaving critical positions vacant and relying largely on chargés d’affaires to run missions.
The absence of ambassadors drew criticism from observers, who warned it could undermine Nigeria’s diplomatic influence and bilateral engagements, especially in strategic countries.
To address the gap, the Presidency submitted a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the National Assembly in late 2025. While the nominees were screened in December, their deployment is contingent on receiving agrément from host nations.
