By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Nigerian Senate has confirmed 64 ambassadorial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu, approving a mix of career diplomats and political figures to represent the country in foreign missions.
The confirmation, which took place during plenary on Thursday, includes 34 career ambassadors and 30 non-career nominees.
The Senate adopted the report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs, which screened the nominees and recommended their approval.
Prominent names on the list include former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, ex-presidential aide Reno Omokri, immediate past INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, businessman and senator Jimoh Ibrahim, former Naval chief Ibok-Ete Ibas, and ex-Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau.
Earlier this month, the Senate had also confirmed three other non-career ambassadors; Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa), and Ayodele Oke (Oyo).
While adopting the committee’s report, some senators raised concerns about uneven state representation among the nominees.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured lawmakers that future lists would address the imbalance.
The newly confirmed ambassadors are expected to fill critical vacancies in Nigeria’s foreign missions and help drive the Tinubu administration’s diplomatic and economic agenda abroad.
