Kayode Are Presents Letter of Credence to Trump, Begins Role as Nigeria’s Ambassador to US

Kayode Are has officially begun his duties as Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States after presenting his Letter of Credence to US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The development was confirmed by Reno Omokri in a social media post on Sunday.

According to Omokri, the ceremony took place on Thursday, May 21, 2026, following Are’s appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier this year.

“Hearty congratulations to my friend, His Excellency, Colonel Kayode Are (Rtd), Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America, who has presented his Letters of Credence to President Donald Trump,” Omokri wrote.

The White House said the event featured an honour guard mounted by members of the US armed forces, officers of the State Department and officials of the National Security Council.

Ambassadors from 11 other countries, including South Africa, Chad, Chile, Yemen, Australia and Kyrgyzstan, also presented their credentials during the ceremony.

Tinubu approved Are’s posting after his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate in December 2025.

A retired Nigerian Army colonel, Are previously served as Director-General of the State Security Service, now known as the Department of State Services.

Born in 1955, he trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy and graduated among the top cadets of Regular Combatant Course 12 before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1974.

Academically, he earned a First Class degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980 and later obtained a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.

Are later rose through the ranks in military intelligence before serving as the longest-serving Director-General of the State Security Service from 1999 to 2007 under former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

He also served as Deputy National Security Adviser, contributing to national security coordination and intelligence operations at the highest levels of government.