Full Profiles of Three Ambassadors Nominated by Tinubu for Senate Confirmation
- President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm three new non‑career ambassadors nearly two years after recalling all envoys in September 2023
- The nominees, Kayode Are, Aminu Dalhatu, and Ayodele Oke, each brought decades of experience in diplomacy, intelligence, and national security
- Their appointments were seen as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign representation with seasoned professionals
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of three non-career ambassadors.
This move came nearly two years after he recalled all Nigerian ambassadors, both career and non‑career, in September 2023.
Source: Twitter
The nominees are Kayode Are of Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu of Jigawa State, and Ayodele Oke of Oyo State.
Here is a closer look at the ambassador-designates:
Ayodele Oke, ambassador-designate from Oyo state
Ayodele Oke was presented as a retired career diplomat and former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
He had built a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in Nigeria’s foreign affairs and intelligence sectors.
• Oke served as Nigeria’s top intelligence chief between November 2013 and October 2017, after being appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan. During this period, he oversaw external intelligence operations, including counter-terrorism and strategic intelligence gathering.
• He was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London from around 2005 to 2009, where he represented the country in multilateral engagements and contributed to policy dialogues within the 56-member organisation.
• Earlier in his career, Oke worked in the Nigerian Foreign Service, focusing on international relations and consular affairs.
Kayode Are, Ambassador-designate from Ogun state
Lateef Kayode Are, born in 1955, was introduced as a retired Nigerian Army Colonel and former Director General of the State Security Service (SSS).
• Are graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980, earning multiple academic prizes. He later obtained a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 1987.
• He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1974 after completing the Nigerian Defence Academy’s Regular Combatant Course 12. He later rose to the rank of Colonel before his compulsory retirement in 1993.
• Are became the longest-serving Director General of the SSS, holding the position from May 1999 to August 2007 under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua.
• He also served briefly as Acting National Security Adviser between September 18 and October 4, 2010, following the resignation of General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau.
Aminu Dalhatu, Ambassador-designate from Jigawa state
Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu was described as a seasoned career diplomat with extensive experience in bilateral diplomacy.
• Dalhatu served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea between 2017 and 2023. He presented his Letters of Credence in September 2017 under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
• During his tenure in Seoul, he oversaw diplomatic operations, consular services, and promoted Nigeria-Korea relations in trade, investment, and cultural exchanges.
• Dalhatu had earlier postings within the Nigerian Foreign Service, where he contributed to the country’s foreign policy implementation and advanced his diplomatic training.
Tinubu receives DSS-cleared ambassadorial list
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received the Department of State Services (DSS)-cleared list of ambassador-designates.
Tinubu is reportedly weighing when to transmit the list to the Nigerian Senate. As reported by The Punch, multiple Presidency sources confirmed this development on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
Top officials said all security and background checks on nominees had been completed, awaiting only Tinubu’s nod before being transmitted to the red chamber for screening.
Source: Legit.ng
