- Nigeria has secured diplomatic approval (agrément) from 10 countries for its ambassadorial nominees
- The key nations granting approval include the United States, United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Qatar, Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal, and Sierra Leone
- The approvals mark progress after nearly two years of vacant ambassadorial positions under President Bola Tinubu
The Federal Government has confirmed that several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, have granted agrément to Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, marking a significant step toward filling long-standing diplomatic vacancies.
This was disclosed on Monday, March 30, by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, who revealed that Nigeria has so far secured approvals from ten countries.
Agrément is the formal approval a host country must give before accepting a foreign diplomat, and it is a critical requirement before any ambassador can officially resume duties.
According to the ministry, the countries that have approved Nigeria’s nominees include the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Ireland, Qatar, Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
“Responses from other countries are still being awaited,” the statement added.
Ebienfa further noted that the process of obtaining agrément is still ongoing, stressing that the timeline for the induction ceremony will only be announced after final approval from the Presidency.
“The date for the induction ceremony will be announced in due course once it is finalised and confirmed by the Presidency,” he said.
The development comes after a prolonged period during which Nigeria operated without substantive ambassadors in several key foreign missions under President Bola Tinubu.
Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu has delayed new ambassadorial appointments, leaving many strategic diplomatic posts vacant and forcing missions to rely on chargés d’affaires.
This absence of full ambassadors had drawn criticism from stakeholders, who warned that Nigeria’s diplomatic strength and bilateral relations could be weakened, particularly in influential countries.
In a bid to address the situation, the Presidency submitted a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the National Assembly in late 2025.
Although the nominees were screened in December, their final deployment remains dependent on receiving agrément from respective host nations.
However, not all responses have been favourable. Some countries, including India, have declined to accept certain nominees, citing diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.