The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said that Nigeria’s newly appointed ambassadors will assume duty in their respective countries of assignment in 2026, following their clearance and confirmation by the National Assembly.
Idris disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists at the end-of-year press conference held in Abuja.
According to the minister, the deployment of the ambassadors will further strengthen Nigeria’s bilateral relations and enhance the country’s global visibility and strategic engagement.
“In 2026, again, our newly appointed ambassadors will take up their posts in their countries of assignment. Of course, their clearance and confirmation have just been made by the National Assembly,” Idris said.
He noted that the appointments were in response to public demands for the posting of ambassadors, adding that the President had acted to address those concerns.
“Before this time, we have had cries, complaints and agitations for ambassadors to be put on their posts. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled that,” the minister stated.
Idris added that while some aspects of the deployment process had been concluded, the remaining steps would be completed next year.
“For the remaining part, that will be carried out in 2026,” he said.
He stressed that the posting of ambassadors would strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements across various sectors and advance the country’s interests in the international community.
Last week, the Senate confirmed 64 ambassadorial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, including a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.
The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which said all the nominees were screened and found suitable for appointment.
The exercise came 48 hours after the upper chamber confirmed three non-career ambassadorial nominees — Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke (Oyo State)—bringing the total number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.
Among those cleared were a former Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; a former Special Adviser on New Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; a former presidential aide, Ita Enang; and a former senator, Grace Bent.
Others include a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; a former Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and a former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu.
In all, the confirmed nominees comprise 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners, and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.
The ambassadorial confirmations mark a critical step in Nigeria’s effort to fill long‑vacant diplomatic posts and reposition its foreign missions, after a prolonged period without full ambassadorial representation following a mass recall of envoys in 2023.
