President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated three seasoned security and diplomatic figures as non-career ambassadors to represent Nigeria in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, according to a post on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The nominations, which are subject to Senate screening and confirmation, include Ambassador Ayodele Oke, retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu.
Ambassador Dalhatu, one of the nominees, previously served as Nigeria’s envoy to South Korea during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
First appointed in 2016, he completed a tenure marked by strengthened bilateral cooperation between Abuja and Seoul.
Ambassador Oke, a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, is a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
He earlier represented Nigeria at the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London and is widely regarded for his extensive diplomatic and intelligence background.
Retired Colonel Are brings decades of national security experience to the diplomatic corps. He served as Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, later assumed office as National Security Adviser in 2010, and was an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence.
A distinguished scholar, he graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.
The three nominees are expected to play strategic roles in strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic presence in key global capitals once their postings are finalised after Senate confirmation.