The Federal Government has announced that the United Kingdom, United States and France are among nations that have formally approved Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, signalling a step forward in efforts to restore full diplomatic representation abroad.
This was disclosed in a statement by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nigeria, Kimiebi Ebienfa, who said approvals—known as agrément—have so far been secured from ten countries.
Agrément is a diplomatic requirement whereby a receiving country consents to the appointment of a foreign envoy before they can officially assume duty.
Beyond the UK, US and France, other countries that have accepted Nigeria’s nominees include Ireland, Qatar, the Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The ministry noted that responses from several other countries are still pending.
Ebienfa explained that once all necessary approvals are received, the Presidency will fix a date for the formal induction of the ambassadors.
Nigeria has operated for an extended period without substantive ambassadors in many missions since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. In the interim, diplomatic posts have largely been managed by chargés d’affaires.
The delay in appointing ambassadors had attracted criticism from analysts and stakeholders, who warned that prolonged vacancies could affect Nigeria’s international engagements and influence, especially in key partner countries.
To address the situation, the Presidency submitted a list of 65 nominees to the National Assembly of Nigeria in late 2025. Although the nominees were screened and cleared in December, their postings depend on securing agrément from their respective host countries.
However, not all responses have been favourable. Some nations, including India, are reported to have declined certain nominees, citing diplomatic conventions that discourage accepting ambassadors from governments nearing the end of their tenure.
The government says it remains engaged with other countries as it works to complete the deployment process and fully restore Nigeria’s diplomatic presence worldwide.