Foreign Affairs Minister Speaks on When Tinubu Will Finally Appoint Ambassadors
- Yusuf Tuggar has said President Bola Tinubu's non-appointment of ambassadors does not mean that Nigeria's missions are not working
- Tuggar stated that President Tinubu came on board in May 2023 to meet "multi-sectoral challenges" in the country
- The minister said in prioritising, President Tinubu "has deemed it fit to delay appointing ambassadors"
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics and governance in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, said President Bola Tinubu would appoint ambassadors when he deems fit.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, monitored by Legit.ng, the minister said his principal is currently prioritising economic reforms.
Source: Facebook
Tuggar said:
"The president of the federal republic of Nigeria is the one empowered to appoint ambassadors, and he would do so when he deems fit. It does not mean that our missions are not running or they are not operating, We have 109 missions consisting of embassies, full embassies, as well as consulates around the world.
"In all of these missions, you have diplomats of different ranks. So, in certain places, you actually have ambassadors, people that have risen to the level of ambassadors that are running these places. It just means that they have not presented their letters of credence, they are not accredited as ambassadors.
"An embassy of mission is a macrocosm of the Nigerian government. So, you also have immigration officers, you have people from the defence section, and so on and so forth. So, they continue to run these embassies.
"Don't forget that I was an ambassador in the previous government under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. I was posted out as ambassador in August of 2017. The government came into office on the 29th of May 2015."
Watch the video below:
Recall on September 2, 2023, three months after Tinubu was inaugurated as Nigeria’s president, he recalled all Nigerian ambassadors manning over 100 Nigerian embassies and high commissions from their host countries.
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However, 1 year and 4 months later, President Bola Tinubu has not sent a list of fresh ambassadors to the Senate for approval and onward deployment to missions abroad even though Nigeria has been playing host to the ambassadors of other countries with missions in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Amid the wait, the Nigerian government has begun deploying consular officials to diplomatic missions worldwide ahead of President Tinubu’s expected announcement of a new list of ambassadors.
However, these officials primarily handle consular services, such as visa processing and citizen welfare, leaving broader diplomatic responsibilities pending until new ambassadors are appointed.
Tinubu's minister receives Chinese foreign minister
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Tuggar received the Chinese foreign minister, Yi, in Abuja.
The Asian diplomat is in Abuja to strengthen Nigeria-China relations as the Tinubu administration looks to achieve its 'Renewed Hope' agenda.
Discussions between Tuggar and Yi in Abuja are expected to focus on deepening collaboration in areas of mutual interest, enhancing economic partnerships, and exploring new opportunities for cooperation.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
