Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, Stephen Angbulu, Gift Habib and Abdulrahman Zakariyau
•Consular officers deployed to embassies in Spain, Malaysia, Brazil, others, concerns raised over state of country’s missions abroad
BY GODWIN OBI
The Federal Government has begun deploying consular officers to diplomatic missions worldwide before the anticipated release of the ambassadorial list.
This move comes 14 months after 83 ambassadors were recalled in September 2023. Following President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration, a reassessment of foreign policy led to the recall of the 83 ambassadors; both career and non-career from their posts in September 2023, but the subsequent appointment of replacements has yet to take place.
The envoys were instructed to return to Nigeria by October 31, 2023, marking a shift in diplomatic strategy and suggesting that the government was looking to realign its foreign engagements to better serve national interests.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, had said the ambassadors served at the President’s behest in their host nations and that it was the President’s “prerogative to send or recall them from any country.”
Tuggar added that it was part of a strategy to realign Nigeria’s foreign engagements.
The recall was done but it left a diplomatic void as no replacements have been announced ever since.
However, the delay in appointing successors has raised concerns.
In April 2024, the government appointed 12 consuls-general and five chargés d’affaires to represent Nigeria in 14 countries, but these interim measures fell short of filling the leadership vacuum in key missions.
Consuls-general and chargés d’affaires can handle routine administrative duties and oversee the day-to-day operations of an embassy, but they do not possess the authority or diplomatic weight to engage at the highest levels, such as with heads of state or critical international negotiations.
On May 28, the foreign affairs minister acknowledged the situation, citing a lack of funds as the primary reason for the delay in appointing new ambassadors.
A few days later, former Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, said any new ambassadorial appointments would depend on budget allocations.
“I guess the funds may be included in the supplementary budget, but for now, there is no clear way forward without funds,” Abu-Ode stated.
The prolonged absence of ambassadors echoes similar delays during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, where ambassadorial appointments took up to 20 months.
Some diplomats fear Nigeria’s international partners may interpret this prolonged inaction as a sign of instability or disinterest in global affairs.
This perception, according to them, can be damaging, particularly for a country that relies on foreign investments and international partnerships to fuel its economic growth.
A senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, voiced concerns over the lack of communication and direction from the government.
“There is silence on the issue. Nobody knows what’s going on,” the official stated.
Diplomats and foreign policy experts also warned that Nigeria’s absence from the international stage could have long-term consequences for its reputation.
However, speaking to The PUNCH on Wednesday, a senior government official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the ongoing deployment of consular officers to missions abroad.
“They are deploying them to our various missions and embassies abroad. Some are going to Malaysia and Spain while others will go to Brazil where the President participated in the G20 Summit,” the official said.
According to another source, some officers have already reported to their new posts, while others are scheduled to assume their roles later this month.
“Yes, some of us left last week. Others even left the last two weeks. But I’m going later this month. They have brought new hands from the Ministry (of Foreign Affairs) to replace us here [at the State House] because we are being posted out of the country,” the official revealed.
Another source from the Presidency said, “I was posted because I was due for posting.”
Many within Nigeria’s diplomatic community are calling for immediate reforms to address the country’s diplomatic challenges.
A retired Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, had voiced his concerns over the prolonged absence of ambassadors.
“That diplomatic missions are without substantive heads for a short period is widely acceptable. But their absence over a year leaves so much to be desired, especially against the backdrop of the Ministry’s funding challenges,” he said.
Similarly, a retired Consul to Cameroon and Delegate to the World Expo and Economic Development Centre in Paris, Amb. Rasheed Akinkuolie, echoed the need for reform.
“It is not the best option not to have resident ambassadors at a post. Chargés d’affaires may not be able to relate with host governments at the highest level, which includes heads of state. A chargé d’affaires can generally only relate with foreign ministries and other officials,” Akinkuolie explained.
He also expressed concern that host governments might question why Nigeria has not replaced its recalled ambassadors, potentially seeing the prolonged absence as a sign of instability.
Akinkuolie noted that diplomatic missions should be funded from dedicated dollar accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure steady financial support for operations abroad.
He also stressed the need for a more streamlined process in deploying ambassadors, urging the government to prioritise ambassadorial appointments and ensure that the foreign missions are properly funded and staffed.
“Diplomatic missions should be funded from a dollar account, dedicated for the purpose at the CBN while running the ministry at home should be in the local currency,” the retired diplomat noted.
The People’s Democratic Party said the failure of President Tinubu to appoint ambassadors 13 months after the former envoys were recalled shows ‘’the ineptitude and indifference of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.’’
In an interview our correspondent on Wednesday, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, described the situation as unfortunate and stressed that it should be a concern for all Nigerians.
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