President Bola Tinubu is expected to conclude the long-awaited appointment of ambassadors to Nigeria’s foreign missions across the world after months of diplomatic vacuum and growing pressure over the absence of envoys in key global capitals.

Multiple Presidency sources who spoke to The PUNCH confirmed that the President had directed a “final cleanup” of the ambassadorial list to reflect updated information before it is officially released.

“It is going to be concluded very soon,” a senior Presidency official said on Monday, November 3, adding that the exercise was in its final stage.

According to top government insiders, the revision became necessary following changes that occurred since the list was first transmitted to the Senate for screening.

They are just cleaning it up now because, since the time the President sent it to the Senate, some people on that list have died, and some have retired and are no longer eligible for appointment. Some of them have less than one year left in service,” one official explained.

He revealed that while the Senate had screened the earlier nominees, the final list must be updated to exclude those who have either passed away or left government service.

“The list of those screened has left the Senate long ago; it has been returned to the President,” he said.

Another Presidency source added that security and background clearances had been completed months earlier but needed to be revalidated due to the changes.

“The earlier list sent to the Senate is outdated. Some nominees have died, while others have taken up new appointments or opted out due to health reasons. The cleanup will ensure that the final list reflects only those still available and qualified,” the source stated.

Diplomatic Vacancies Persist Two Years After Envoys’ Recall

Naija News reports that the ambassadorial exercise comes two years after Tinubu recalled all ambassadors from Nigeria’s 109 foreign missions, including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates, as part of a “comprehensive diplomatic review.”

Since then, most missions have been run by chargés d’affaires or senior consular officers with limited authority to engage in formal negotiations or represent Nigeria at the highest levels.

A senior Foreign Service officer told journalists that the absence of ambassadors had weakened Nigeria’s international visibility.

“The truth is that most foreign governments do not accord the same level of respect to chargés d’affaires as they do to ambassadors. At a time like this, when Nigeria is facing multiple diplomatic demands, it is crucial to have full-fledged ambassadors in place,” he said.

Naija News reports that the renewed push for appointments comes amid diplomatic tension following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to launch military action in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians.

Trump had, in a post on Truth Social, claimed that Christianity faced “an existential threat” in Nigeria, warning that the United States might “go into that disgraced country, guns-a-blazing.”

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and may very well take direct action,” Trump wrote

While government officials have dismissed the threat as “baseless,” senior Presidency sources told The PUNCH that the absence of Nigerian ambassadors abroad made communication and crisis management more difficult.

“That’s not to say the lack of ambassadors caused the recent issues with the United States, but their presence could have made communication smoother,” one senior aide explained.

“Foreign partners prefer engaging at the ambassadorial level, especially in moments of crisis or negotiation.”

Naija News learnt that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, is scheduled to meet with President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday, November 3, 2025, where the ambassadorial list is expected to feature prominently on the agenda.

A Presidency insider said: “When the President is ready to make that appointment, it will be made public. The Presidency will release an official statement very soon.”

In April 2025, reports had it that the Federal Government had completed security vetting and clearance for nominees but delayed the postings due to funding shortages and the need to balance political and professional considerations

Officials estimated that over $1 billion was required to settle arrears owed to foreign service officers, replace aging diplomatic vehicles, renovate embassies, and fund operational overheads.

President Tinubu had earlier acknowledged the challenge of balancing political representation and merit.

“It’s not easy stitching those names,” the President told members of The Buhari Organisation, led by Senator Tanko Al-Makura, during a visit to the State House on September 2, 2025.

I couldn’t appoint everybody at once. I still have some slots for ambassadorial positions that so many people are craving for,” he added.

With most foreign missions operating at limited capacity for more than two years, diplomats and analysts have welcomed the expected appointments as “long overdue.”

A former ambassador told journalists that the move could restore Nigeria’s global visibility and improve bilateral relations with key partners.

Foreign representation is not symbolic it is strategic. The earlier the ambassadors are deployed, the better for Nigeria’s image and foreign policy interests,” The PUNCH quoted the former ambassador as saying.

As of press time, Presidency sources confirmed that the revised list was in its final review stage and could be released within days, ending a prolonged diplomatic vacuum in Nigeria’s foreign service.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by Sierra Leone President, Julius Maada Bio, has yet to make any official statement on the growing diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United States following President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and his threat of possible military intervention

Naija News recalls that President Trump, on the 31st of October, announced that Nigeria had been placed back on the CPC list over alleged persecution of Christians and what he described as “genocide-like killings.”

“The United States will not stand by while Christians are being slaughtered in Nigeria,” Trump said, adding that his administration was considering “fast, vicious, and decisive” military action to end the violence.

His remarks came after several members of the U.S. Congress reportedly pressured him to act, citing reports of religiously motivated attacks in parts of northern Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu swiftly rejected the U.S. decision, insisting that religious persecution has no place in Nigeria, and that the country’s constitution guarantees freedom of worship for all faiths.

The Nigerian government also dismissed Trump’s threat as “misinformed and unnecessary,” arguing that the violence in parts of the country was driven by criminality and insecurity, not religion.

Despite the firm response from Abuja, Trump doubled down on his earlier statement, saying the U.S. was “ready to act” if the Nigerian government failed to protect Christians and curb extremist violence.

A report has claimed that the United States’ consideration of designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern began during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the report by Daily Sun, Buhari’s refusal to accept the help of the US in the fight against terrorism contributed to the closer watch of the country.

Diplomatic sources who spoke to the publication mentioned above explained that there was a perception by the US that Nigeria was not serious about fighting terrorists.

A source claimed that during the Buhari administration, the United States sought to assist Nigeria in combating the terrorist menace and had discussions with the country’s intelligence agency and officials of the Nigerian Mission in Washington, United States, but was rebuffed.

It was gathered that the deceased president had asked government officials who hinted at the US intention to assist if anybody told them Nigeria needed help.

Sources revealed that when the US saw the previous government’s body language, it interpreted it to mean that Nigeria was not serious about ending terrorism and therefore Washington beamed a searchlight on the country.

“They have monitored and concluded that there is no seriousness on our part. The entire waters of Nigeria and borders were monitored by the United States intelligence, including movements of terrorists,” the diplomatic source said

It was gathered that after Buhari left office, the US was expecting more proactive security measures and improvement in the fight against terrorism, but discovered that the country was becoming helpless and therefore decided to act.

The source said that President Donald Trump is acting on intelligence report, adding that if the US said it would go after the terrorists it should be taken seriously.

He recalled that the US special forces once swooped on Nigerian bushes and rescued an American held hostage by terrorists, saying that this shows how much they know about the security situation in the country.

The US forces came in and rescued a kidnapped American and left with him unhurt. This shows how strong their intelligence is and how swift they could act,” he said.