UK, US, France, others approve Nigerian ambassadors

The Federal Government has confirmed that several countries, including the United Kingdom, France and the United States, have formally accepted Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, marking a step forward in efforts to fill long-vacant diplomatic positions.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, gave the confirmation in a statement issued on Monday, noting that Nigeria has so far secured approvals from ten countries.

The ministry listed the countries that have granted consent: the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Ireland, Qatar, the Republic of Benin, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

“Responses from other countries are still being awaited,” the statement added.

Ebienfa also noted that the process of obtaining approvals from other host countries is still in progress, explaining that the timeline for the formal induction of the envoys will be communicated once concluded and cleared by 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 Presidency submitted a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the National Assembly toward the end of 2025.

Although the nominees underwent screening in December, their eventual posting depends on receiving ratification from their respective host countries.

However, some nations, including India, have rejected certain nominees, pointing to diplomatic norms that discourage accepting ambassadors from governments nearing the end of their tenure, particularly those with less than two years remaining in office.