The Federal Government has confirmed that several countries, including the United Kingdom, France and the United States, have granted ‘agrément’ to Nigeria’s ambassadorial nominees, signalling progress in efforts to fill long-vacant diplomatic positions.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, noting that Nigeria has so far secured approvals from ten countries.
Agrément is the formal consent given by a host country to accept a diplomat nominated by another nation, a prerequisite before an ambassador can formally assume duty.
According to the ministry, the countries that have granted approval include 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 further explained that the process of securing agrément from host nations remains ongoing, adding that the date for the induction ceremony of the envoys would be announced once finalised and approved 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 development follows a prolonged period during which Nigeria operated without substantive ambassadors in several foreign missions under President Bola Tinubu.
Since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu has delayed fresh ambassadorial appointments, leaving key diplomatic posts vacant and relying largely on chargés d’affaires to manage missions.
The absence of ambassadors had drawn criticism from stakeholders, who warned that it could weaken Nigeria’s diplomatic influence and bilateral engagements, particularly in strategic countries.
In a move to address the gap, the Presidency forwarded a list of 65 ambassadorial nominees to the National Assembly in late 2025.
Although the nominees were screened in December, their deployment remains subject to receiving agrément from host countries.
Meanwhile, PUNCH Online earlier reported that some countries, including India, have declined to accept certain ambassadorial nominees, citing diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
PUNCH.
