President Bola Tinubu has received a fresh list of ambassador-designates and is weighing when to transmit it to the Senate.
Top officials familiar with the process said all security and background checks on nominees had been completed, awaiting only the President’s nod before being transmitted to the red chamber for screening.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to comment publicly.
“The list is ready. It’s ready. It is now with the President, and it’s up to him,” one senior official said on Tuesday.
All those security checks, they are done with. But he has not mentioned when he wants to send it to the Senate,” the source clarified.
Another source explained that, when the President finally moves, the appointment will be staggered, with envoys to “major partner countries” announced first, while others will follow later.
“He cannot announce all the ambassadors at once,” the official said, adding, “It is only those we intend to send to our key partner countries that will be announced, because the main reason why this thing has delayed is money. A humongous amount is involved in getting these ambassadors settled. So, we will send out those few ambassadors first and then others later.”
Nigeria’s key partners are the countries with the deepest trade, security and political ties.
These include the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the European Union states (notably France and Germany), China, India and core ECOWAS neighbours.
Relations between the U.S. and the UK are anchored in oil and security cooperation.
Nigeria is a major crude supplier, a key counter-terrorism ally and a Commonwealth partner with a huge diaspora footprint.
The EU as a bloc is Nigeria’s largest trading partner and investor, backing big-ticket projects and governance reforms, while France and Germany add security support in the North-East and Sahel.
China and India are critical for energy and infrastructure. China’s loans and Belt and Road projects have financed Nigeria’s rail lines, airports and power plants, while India is a top buyer of Nigerian crude and a major pharma and ICT partner.
Within Africa, ECOWAS capitals such as Accra, Niamey and Cotonou have historically been priority postings, given Nigeria’s role as the region’s largest economy and chief crisis mediator.
