Tinubu Prioritising Economic Reforms Over Ambassadorial Appointments, Says Presidency
The Presidency has downplayed concerns over Nigeria’s delayed ambassadorial appointments, insisting there is no vacuum in the country’s diplomatic representation.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ademola Oshodi, said on Sunday that President Bola Tinubu has personally led Nigeria’s foreign engagements, describing him as “the country’s number one ambassador.”
Speaking on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme hosted by Laolu Akande, Oshodi explained that the absence of substantive ambassadors was not due to neglect but a “strategic and financial decision” aimed at prioritising domestic reforms.
“The ambassadorial situation is a very strategic position taken by the President,” Oshodi said. “We’re going through a tough reform process in the Nigerian economy, and resources are being prioritised.
“The administration has focused on more pressing issues such as infrastructure, security, and food supply. That doesn’t mean there’s a vacuum, the President himself has been our chief envoy.”
He noted that chargés d’affaires had been deployed to several Nigerian missions abroad to ensure continuity in diplomatic work.
“It’s important that the public recognise that there’s no vacuum,” Oshodi said. “Chargés d’affaires have been sent out to fill the gap, and institutions such as the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission are also playing critical roles in attending to diaspora needs.”
President Tinubu recalled all envoys from Nigeria’s 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates in September 2023, as part of what officials described as a “diplomatic reset.”
Since then, most missions have been overseen by senior consular officers pending the nomination and confirmation of new ambassadors.
On September 2, Tinubu acknowledged the delay in making fresh appointments, citing the political complexities involved.
“I couldn’t appoint everybody at once and thank you for your patience,” he told members of The Buhari Organisation, led by former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, during a visit to the Presidential Villa.
“I still have some slots for ambassadorial positions that so many people are craving for. But it’s not easy stitching those names.”
Oshodi maintained that Tinubu’s foreign policy remains active despite fiscal constraints, pointing to his participation in African Union, ECOWAS, and BRICS summits, as well as international investment forums.
“President Tinubu has travelled widely, pushing for investment, security collaboration, and climate change cooperation,” Oshodi said.
“He has been visible in regional and multilateral fora, especially ECOWAS, where Nigeria continues to play a leadership role.”
Reacting to criticism over the President’s absence from the last two United Nations General Assembly meetings, Oshodi said the decision was deliberate and consistent with Tinubu’s priorities.
“I don’t believe the President takes the United Nations lightly,” he said. “But he juggled his priorities and felt it was more important to focus on regional and continental issues, security in the Sahel, cross-border banditry, arms smuggling, and economic integration through ECOWAS and BRICS, all of which have a more direct impact on Nigerians.”
