President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate posting of four ambassadors-designate to Nigeria’s most strategic foreign missions, signaling a decisive move to strengthen diplomatic ties with key global powers.
In a statement released on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President confirmed the deployment of envoys to the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Turkey.
According to the directive, Colonel Lateef Are has been posted as the Ambassador-designate to the United States of America, while Ambassador Ayodele Oke will serve as the country’s top diplomat in France.
For the United Kingdom, the President has deployed Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, a seasoned diplomat and former envoy to South Korea, as the new High Commissioner-designate.
In a notable political appointment, the President named the former Governor of Kebbi State, Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, as the Ambassador-designate to Turkey.
The posting of Dakingari is viewed as strategically timed, as the Presidency disclosed that President Tinubu is scheduled to embark on a state visit to Turkey next week. The former governor is expected to play a pivotal role in preparing the grounds for the visit and cementing bilateral agreements between the two nations.
These four diplomats are drawn from the list of 68 ambassadorial nominees confirmed by the Nigerian Senate in December 2025.
To fast-track their resumption, President Tinubu has issued a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, directing the ministry to immediately notify the governments of the four host nations about the appointments in line with standard diplomatic protocols.
The deployment marks the first batch of postings from the recently confirmed list, with more expected to follow as the administration moves to fully constitute its foreign missions.
