POLITICS NIGERIA.
The list being contemplated has more political appointees than the career ambassadors.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the list of ambassadorial nominees has been with President Bola Tinubu for over a year, attributing the delay to pressing economic reforms and logistical constraints.
“The president has to forward the names to the Senate for screening, and thereafter, there will be a request where we will assign ambassadors to the nations where they will go,” Tuggar said.
He noted that sweeping policies such as subsidy removal and naira floatation took precedence. “There were even shortfalls because we had different exchange rates and then we had huge fluctuations in the exchange rate as well. This further compounded the issue of funding missions and also funding the sending out of ambassadors.”
On the composition of the list, he said, “It is a mixture. In fact, the list being contemplated has more political appointees than the career ambassadors.”
Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa added, “Be rest assured that when it is ready, Mr President will transmit the list of nominees to the National Assembly for screening and confirmation.”