65 of 69 Nigerian Ambassadors Accepted as Reno Omokri’s Posting Remains Pending

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that 65 of the 69 ambassadorial appointments made by President Bola Tinubu have received approval from their respective host countries, representing a 97 per cent acceptance rate.

The ministry disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, who described the diplomatic process as progressing smoothly.

According to the ministry, two of the four outstanding appointments were due to circumstances unrelated to the receiving countries.

Ebienfa said Grace Bent, who was nominated as Nigeria’s ambassador to Togo, declined the appointment, while Mohammed Mahmud Lele, the ambassador-designate to Algeria, died in April before assuming office.

Lele passed away on April 19 in Ankara, Turkey, after a prolonged illness. The ministry said the process of selecting his replacement is already underway.

Although the statement did not identify the two remaining countries yet to grant agrément, TheCable reported that they are Japan and Mexico.

Former presidential spokesperson Reno Omokri was nominated as ambassador to Mexico, while Olumilua Oluwayimika Ayotunwa was designated for Japan.

The ministry explained that both countries had assured Nigeria that approval for the appointments would be granted in due course.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to assure Nigerians and the international stakeholders that it is actively engaging the relevant authorities in the two countries and is confident that the outstanding agreements will be conveyed in due course,” the statement said.

Ebienfa noted that the overall ambassadorial deployment had recorded significant progress, with most of the newly appointed envoys already arriving in their host countries.

He added that many of them had formally presented their letters of credence, enabling them to begin official duties as Nigeria’s principal diplomatic representatives.

The ministry maintained that the successful acceptance of the majority of the ambassadors reflects Nigeria’s cordial diplomatic relations with countries across the world.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the remaining ambassadorial appointments are concluded promptly to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement and representation in all assigned missions.

The appointments form part of the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition Nigeria’s foreign service and deepen bilateral relations with strategic partners across different regions of the world.