Former governors of Abia and Enugu states, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Senator Shehu Sani and ex-aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, are among those nominated for ambassadorial appointment by the federal government.
Nominees have been asked to report to the DSS offices nearest to them for security checks. Some have reportedly been contacted to provide personal education and work history.
A source confirmed that former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro and former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, have already gone through the screening process and have been cleared for their prospective national assignments.
In September 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all Nigerian ambassadors, both career and non-career, without replacement, fuelling concerns over what that would have on Nigeria’s diplomacy.
Nearly two years after their recall, the presidency, in March 2025, said that their replacements would be announced “very soon.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, blamed the delay in appointing ambassadors on a lack of funds as foreign officials and other stakeholders raised concerns about the void in diplomatic leadership at various foreign missions.
However, with the ongoing screening exercise, the Federal Government may soon announce the names of the new diplomats and their portfolios.
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