IT is indeed baffling that, in today’s interconnected and globalised world, the Bola Tinubu administration has operated for over two years without appointing ambassadors. This void casts Nigeria as an outcast in a world that thrives on inclusivity and international cooperation.
Governance functions on two fronts — domestic and international. Unfortunately, the Tinubu administration seems intent on clapping with only one hand, but the folly of the President’s appropriation of diplomatic functions has been exposed by Donald Trump’s scathing, single-view assessment of Nigeria’s domestic circumstances.
Ambassadors serve as official representatives of their home countries. They “protect national interests, promote friendly relations, and facilitate cooperation in areas such as trade, security, and culture”, per AI. While other countries capitalise on these roles, Nigeria remains absent and inactive.
This passivity is particularly puzzling given Nigeria’s vulnerability in critical sectors, which demands urgent economic and diplomatic partnerships for recovery. Yet, the Tinubu government appears reluctant to leverage this crucial window of opportunity.
Such lethargy signals a lack of clear and effective foreign policy direction, contradicting the administration’s stated goal of attracting foreign investors.
In September 2023, four months after his inauguration, Tinubu recalled ambassadors from Nigeria’s 109 diplomatic missions and consulates, citing the need for an overhaul. Since then, no reappointments have been made.
Consequently, missions have been managed by charge d’affaires, career civil servants who lack official diplomatic recognition by host governments.
In April, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed that a list of ambassadorial nominees had been submitted to the President over a year ago during “the macroeconomic reforms”.
He attributed the delay to economic challenges triggered by the removal of the petrol subsidy on inauguration day and the subsequent naira floatation.
Despite such explanations, the government’s failure to prioritise foreign missions, which are critical for attracting investment, boosting trade, stimulating infrastructure development, and addressing insecurity, remains a mystery.
At a time when foreign relations suffer funding neglect, the Federal Government has subsidised the 2024 Hajj with N90 billion, approved a 50 per cent subsidy for the 2025 Christian pilgrimage, spent N57.6 billion to buy 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser and Prado vehicles for federal lawmakers, and allocated N5 billion to renovate the Vice President’s official residence.
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