President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated three non-career ambassadors to represent Nigeria in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, marking his first ambassadorial appointments since taking office in May 2023.
The nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu, according to a statement released by presidential media aide Bayo Onanuga.
The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate, which will conduct screening exercises before the postings are finalized.
Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu brings diplomatic experience to the table, having served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea during the Buhari administration. He was first appointed to that position in 2016.
Ambassador Ayodele Oke, an Emory University alumnus from Atlanta, previously held the position of Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He also served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.
Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are has an extensive background in national security. He served as Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007 and briefly held the position of National Security Adviser in 2010. His military career included service in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. Colonel Are graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.
The nomination list has been forwarded to the Senate for the required screening process. The appointments come nearly two and a half years into President Tinubu’s administration, during which Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in these key Western capitals have operated without presidentially appointed ambassadors.
