PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES NON-CAREER AMBASSADORS TO UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM, AND FRANCE

President Bola Tinubu has nominated three non-career ambassadors for postings to the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The postings will be finalized following screening and confirmation by the Senate. The nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu. In a statement, President Tinubu expressed confidence in the nominees, stating, “These individuals bring a wealth of experience and will strengthen our diplomatic engagements in these key nations.”

Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, having been first appointed in 2016.

Ambassador Ayodele Oke, an alumnus of Emory University in Atlanta, is a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.

Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are was Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, served as National Security Adviser in 2010, and was an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. He graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.

The Presidency emphasized the importance of the nominations, with a spokesperson noting, “These appointments reflect the government’s commitment to deploying seasoned professionals to advance Nigeria’s foreign policy goals.” The Senate is expected to commence screening procedures shortly.