By MUHYIDEEN JIMOH

President Bola Tinubu has approved the posting of three ambassadors-designate from the 68 nominees earlier confirmed by the Senate.

The approvals were conveyed in a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday in Abuja.

Amb. Ayodele Oke has been posted as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to France.

Col. Lateef Are was approved as the ambassador-designate to the United States of America.

Tinubu also confirmed the posting of Amb. Amin Dalhatu, former envoy to South Korea, as the high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom.

Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman, former governor of Kebbi, is the ambassador-designate to Turkey, where the President is scheduled to begin a state visit next week, according to Onanuga.

In a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tinubu directed the ministry to formally notify the governments of the three countries, in line with established diplomatic procedures.

On December 18, 2025, the Senate confirmed all 64 career and non-career ambassadors nominated by President Tinubu, following consideration of a report from the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Earlier, on December 4, President Bola Tinubu had forwarded to the Senate a request for the confirmation of 65 ambassadorial nominees, comprising 34 career ambassadors and 31 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners.

The Senate had earlier approved three non-career ambassadorial nominees—Lateef Kayode Are, Aminu Dalhatu, and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke—a development that raised the overall number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.

The list of non-career nominees features several prominent political figures, including former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu; former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; and a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri. (Pieced together from reports by NAN and Channels TV)