Manny Ita
President Bola Tinubu has officially approved the posting of three high-profile ambassadors-designate to Nigeria’s most critical foreign missions, ending a two-year period where the country’s top diplomatic outposts were managed by lower-level officials. In a move widely seen as prioritizing security and intelligence cooperation, the Presidency announced on Friday that retired Colonel Lateef Are has been assigned to the United States, Ambassador Ayodele Oke to France, and Ambassador Amin Dalhatu to the United Kingdom as High Commissioner.
The appointments mark the first phase of a broader deployment following the Senate’s confirmation of 68 nominees in December 2025. Nigeria has operated without substantive ambassadors in these key capitals since September 2023, when the President recalled all envoys to reassess the nation’s foreign policy direction. These “heavyweight” postings are intended to restore full plenipotentiary powers to Nigeria’s representation abroad, allowing for high-level sovereign negotiations that were previously restricted under the tenure of chargés d’affaires.
The selection of Colonel Lateef Are for the Washington D.C. post has drawn significant attention due to his background as a former intelligence chief and his academic pedigree as a First-Class Psychology graduate from the University of Ibadan. As a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s Regular Course 12, Are is expected to leverage his security expertise to navigate complex U.S.-Nigeria ties. His primary mandate includes addressing Nigeria’s status on international watchlists and strengthening military-to-military cooperation between the two nations.
In a similar vein, the deployment of Ambassador Ayodele Oke to France signals a strategic focus on the Sahel region. Oke, a career diplomat and former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), brings extensive experience in regional security and multilateral diplomacy to Paris. Observers note that his appointment is strategically timed to bolster Nigeria’s influence in Francophone Africa while deepening economic ties with the European power.
Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, who previously served as Nigeria’s envoy to South Korea, will take over the London mission. His role is considered pivotal for managing the post-Brexit trade relationship and engaging with Nigeria’s massive diaspora population in the United Kingdom. While the three primary postings are now finalized, the Presidency was forced to issue a correction on Friday morning regarding the Turkish mission. An initial announcement had included former Kebbi Governor Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman as the designate for Turkey, but officials withdrew the name to “finalize diplomatic protocols” before a formal confirmation is re-released.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has also coincided this diplomatic push by recommending 14 new judges for the Federal High Court to the President. Meanwhile, health advocates have raised concerns that the diplomatic and security focus of the 2026 budget may be overshadowing social sectors. Pediatricians noted that the 4.3% health allocation remains far below the 15% Abuja Declaration target. Despite these internal debates, the administration remains focused on the international stage, with Vice President Kashim Shettima stating at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Nigeria’s new strategies are designed to frame food security as a “national security pillar” rather than just an agricultural concern.
