By Our Correspondent
FCT Abuja – May 28, 2925
As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration clocks two years in office on May 29, concerns are being raised over the government’s continued failure to appoint ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions.
A political analyst, Mr. Musa Yakubu, made this known while speaking with journalists in Jalingo on Wednesday. He described the situation as a glaring indication of the administration’s lack of foreign policy direction and strategic engagement with the international community.
Yakubu noted that ambassadorial appointments are not merely ceremonial but are vital instruments of statecraft, enshrined in Nigeria’s constitutional framework and reinforced by international conventions such as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“In just a few hours, this administration will have completed half of its four-year term, yet we are still without substantive ambassadors in any of our 109 foreign missions,” Yakubu said. “This is not only embarrassing but signals a troubling vacuum in Nigeria’s foreign policy leadership. Who is representing Nigeria’s interests abroad? Who is protecting Nigerians in foreign countries? These are serious questions that must be answered.”
He added that the prolonged absence of ambassadors has left Nigerian missions under the control of lower-ranking officials, limiting their capacity to engage effectively with host countries on bilateral issues, trade, security, and citizen welfare.
Yakubu warned that the opposition is watching closely and could leverage this gap as a political tool in subsequent elections, highlighting what he described as “a gross dereliction of administrative responsibility.”
He urged President Tinubu to move swiftly to resolve the issue, stressing that the appointment of ambassadors is critical to the smooth functioning of Nigeria’s diplomacy and international reputation.
“This administration must show seriousness in managing Nigeria’s image abroad. The delay is unjustifiable and undermines our standing as a sovereign nation,” he added.
Efforts to get an official response from the Presidency on the delay in ambassadorial appointments were unsuccessful as of press time.
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